Multiple-view directional display

ABSTRACT

A parallax optic comprises plural, spaced apart lenses which are separated by regions which are non-transmissive of/to visible light. In some embodiments, the spaced apart lenses of the parallax optic are discrete elements of a lens array. In other embodiments, the lens elements are formed as convex elements integral with and extending from a lenticular layer. Parallax optic devices are combined with one or more image display elements to form an image display device. For embodiments of image display devices featuring or providing two-dimensional (2D) viewability, the parallax optic is preferably near or included in the image display element. On the other hand, for embodiments of image display devices featuring or providing three-dimensional (3D) viewability, the parallax optic is situated outside the image display element.

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/223,206, filed Sep. 12, 2005, entitled “Multiple-ViewDirectional Display”, which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a multiple-view directional display,which displays two or more images such that each image is visible from adifferent direction. Thus, two observers who view the display fromdifferent directions will see different images to one another. Such adisplay may be used as, for example, an autostereoscopic display deviceor a dual view display device. The invention also relates to a parallaxbarrier substrate, and to a method of manufacturing a multiple-viewdirectional display.

2. Related Art and Other Considerations

For many years conventional display devices have been designed to beviewed by multiple users simultaneously. The display properties of thedisplay device are made such that viewers can see the same good imagequality from different angles with respect to the display. This iseffective in applications where many users require the same informationfrom the display—such as, for example, displays of departure informationat airports and railway stations. However, there are many applicationswhere it would be desirable for individual users to be able to seedifferent information from the same display. For example, in a motor carthe driver may wish to view satellite navigation data while a passengermay wish to view a film. These conflicting needs could be satisfied byproviding two separate display devices, but this would take up extraspace and would increase the cost. Furthermore, if two separate displayswere used in this example it would be possible for the driver to see thepassenger's display if the driver moved his or her head, which would bedistracting for the driver. As a further example, each player in acomputer game for two or more players may wish to view the game from hisor her own perspective. This is currently done by each player viewingthe game on a separate display screen so that each player sees their ownunique perspective on individual screens. However, providing a separatedisplay screen for each player takes up a lot of space and is costly,and is not practical for portable games.

To solve these problems, multiple-view directional displays have beendeveloped. One application of a multiple-view directional display is asa ‘dual-view display’, which can simultaneously display two or moredifferent images, with each image being visible only in a specificdirection—so an observer viewing the display device from one directionwill see one image whereas an observer viewing the display device fromanother, different direction will see a different image. A display thatcan show different images to two or more users provides a considerablesaving in space and cost compared with use of two or more separatedisplays.

Examples of possible applications of multiple-view directional displaydevices have been given above, but there are many other applications.For example, they may be used in aeroplanes where each passenger isprovided with their own individual in-flight entertainment programmes.Currently each passenger is provided with an individual display device,typically in the back of the seat in the row in front. Using a multipleview directional display could provide considerable savings in cost,space and weight since it would be possible for one display to serve twoor more passengers while still allowing each passenger to select theirown choice of film.

A further advantage of a multiple-view directional display is theability to preclude the users from seeing each other's views. This isdesirable in applications requiring security such as banking or salestransactions, for example using an automatic teller machine (ATM), aswell as in the above example of computer games.

A further application of a multiple view directional display is inproducing a three-dimensional display. In normal vision, the two eyes ofa human perceive views of the world from different perspectives, owingto their different location within the head. These two perspectives arethen used by the brain to assess the distance to the various objects ina scene. In order to build a display which will effectively display athree dimensional image, it is necessary to re-create this situation andsupply a so-called “stereoscopic pair” of images, one image to each eyeof the observer.

Three dimensional displays are classified into two types depending onthe method used to supply the different views to the eyes. Astereoscopic display typically displays both images of a stereoscopicimage pair over a wide viewing area. Each of the views is encoded, forinstance by color, polarization state, or time of display. The user isrequired to wear a filter system of glasses that separate the views andlet each eye see only the view that is intended for it.

An autostereoscopic display displays a right-eye view and a left-eyeview in different directions, so that each view is visible only fromrespective defined regions of space. The region of space in which animage is visible across the whole of the display active area is termed a“viewing window”. If the observer is situated such that their left eyeis in the viewing window for the left eye view of a stereoscopic pairand their right eye is in the viewing window for the right-eye image ofthe pair, then a correct view will be seen by each eye of the observerand a three-dimensional image will be perceived. An autostereoscopicdisplay requires no viewing aids to be worn by the observer.

An autostereoscopic display is similar in principle to a dual-viewdisplay. However, the two images displayed on an autostereoscopicdisplay are the left-eye and right-eye images of a stereoscopic imagepair, and so are not independent from one another. Furthermore, the twoimages are displayed so as to be visible to a single observer, with oneimage being visible to each eye of the observer.

For a flat panel autostereoscopic display, the formation of the viewingwindows is typically due to a combination of the picture element (or“pixel”) structure of the image display unit of the autostereoscopicdisplay and an optical element, generically termed a parallax optic. Anexample of a parallax optic is a parallax barrier, which is a screenwith transmissive regions, often in the form of slits, separated byopaque regions. This screen can be set in front of or behind a spatiallight modulator (SLM) having a two-dimensional array of picture elementsto produce an autostereoscopic display.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional multiple view directionaldevice, in this case an autostereoscopic display. The directionaldisplay 1 consists of a spatial light modulator (SLM) 4 that constitutesan image display device, and a parallax barrier 5. The SLM of FIG. 1 isin the form of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having an activematrix thin film transistor (TFT) substrate 6, a counter-substrate 7,and a liquid crystal layer 8 disposed between the substrate and thecounter substrate. The SLM is provided with addressing electrodes (notshown) which define a plurality of independently-addressable pictureelements, and is also provided with alignment layers (not shown) foraligning the liquid crystal layer. Viewing angle enhancement films 9 andlinear polarizers 10 are provided on the outer surface of each substrate6, 7. Illumination 11 is supplied from a backlight (not shown).

The parallax barrier 5 comprises a substrate 12 with a parallax barrieraperture array 13 formed on its surface adjacent the SLM 4. The aperturearray comprises vertically extending (that is, extending into the planeof the paper in FIG. 1) transparent apertures 15 separated by opaqueportions 14. An anti-reflection (AR) coating 16 is formed on theopposite surface of the parallax barrier substrate 12 (which forms theoutput surface of the display 1).

The pixels of the SLM 4 are arranged in rows and columns with thecolumns extending into the plane of the paper in FIG. 1. The pixel pitch(the distance from the centre of one pixel to the centre of an adjacentpixel) in the row or horizontal direction being p. The width of thevertically-extending transmissive slits 15 of the aperture array 13 is2w and the horizontal pitch of the transmissive slits 15 is b. The planeof the barrier aperture array 13 is spaced from the plane of the liquidcrystal layer 8 by a distances.

In use, the display device 1 forms a left-eye image and a right-eyeimage, and an observer who positions their head such that their left andright eyes are coincident with the left-eye viewing window 2 and theright-eye viewing window 3 respectively will see a three-dimensionalimage. The left and right viewing windows 2,3 are formed in a windowplane 17 at the desired viewing distance from the display. The windowplane is spaced from the plane of the aperture array 13 by a distancer_(o). The windows 2,3 are contiguous in the window plane and have apitch e corresponding to the average separation between the two eyes ofa human. The half angle to the centre of each window 10, 11 from thenormal axis to the display normal is α_(s).

The pitch of the slits 15 in the parallax barrier 5 is chosen to beclose to an integer multiple of the pixel pitch of the SLM 4 so thatgroups of columns of pixels are associated with a specific slit of theparallax barrier. FIG. 1 shows a display device in which two pixelcolumns of the SLM 4 are associated with each transmissive slit 15 ofthe parallax barrier.

FIG. 2 shows the angular zones of light created from an SLM 4 andparallax barrier 5 where the parallax barrier has a pitch of an exactinteger multiple of the pixel column pitch. In this case, the angularzones coming from different locations across the display panel surfaceintermix and a pure zone of view for image 1 or image 2 (where ‘image 1’and ‘image 2’ denote the two images displayed by the SLM 4) does notexist. In order to address this, the pitch of the parallax barrier ispreferably reduced slightly so that it is slightly less than an integermultiple of the pixel column pitch. As a result, the angular zonesconverge at a pre-defined plane (the “window plane”) in front of thedisplay. This effect is illustrated in FIG. 3 of the accompanyingdrawings, which shows the image zones created by an SLM 4 and a modifiedparallax barrier 5′. The viewing regions, when created in this way, areroughly kite-shaped in plan view.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of another conventional multiple view directionaldisplay device 1′. This corresponds generally to the display device 1 ofFIG. 1, except that the parallax barrier 5 is placed behind the SLM 4,so that it is between the backlight and SLM 4. This device may have theadvantages that the parallax barrier is less visible to an observer, andthat the pixels of the display appear to be closer to the front of thedevice. Furthermore, although FIGS. 1 and 4 each show a transmissivedisplay device illuminated by a backlight, reflective devices that useambient light (in bright conditions) are known. In the case of atransflective device, the rear parallax barrier of FIG. 4 will absorbnone of the ambient lighting. This is an advantage if the display has a2D mode that uses reflected light.

In the display devices of FIGS. 1 and 4, a parallax barrier is used asthe parallax optic. Other types of parallax optic are known. Forexample, lenticular lens arrays may be used to direct interlaced imagesin different directions, so as to form a stereoscopic image pair or toform two or more images, each seen in a different direction.

Holographic methods of image splitting are known, but in practice thesemethods suffer from viewing angle problems, pseudoscopic zones and alack of easy control of the images.

Another type of parallax optic is a micropolarizer display, which uses apolarized directional light source and patterned high precisionmicropolarizer elements aligned with the pixels of the SLM. Such adisplay offers the potential for high window image quality, a compactdevice, and the ability to switch between a 2D display mode and a 3Ddisplay mode. The dominant requirement when using a micropolarizerdisplay as a parallax optic is the need to avoid parallax problems whenthe micropolarizer elements are incorporated into the SLM.

Where a color display is required, each pixel of the SLM 4 is generallygiven a filter associated with one of the three primary colors. Bycontrolling groups of three pixels, each with a different color filter,many visible colors may be produced. In an autostereoscopic display eachof the stereoscopic image channels must contain sufficient of the colorfilters for a balanced color output. Many SLMs have the color filtersarranged in vertical columns, owing to ease of manufacture, so that allthe pixels in a given column have the same color filter associated withthem. If a parallax optic is disposed on such an SLM with three pixelcolumns associated with each slit or lenslet of the parallax optic, theneach viewing region will see pixels of one color only. Care must betaken with the color filter layout to avoid this situation. Furtherdetails of suitable color filter layouts are given in EP-A-0 752 610.

The function of the parallax optic in a directional display device suchas those shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 is to restrict light transmitted throughthe pixels of the SLM 4 to certain output angles. This restrictiondefines the angle of view of each of the pixel columns behind a givenelement of the parallax optic (such as for example a transmissive slit).The angular range of view of each pixel is determined by the pixel pitchp, the separation s between the plane of the pixels and the plane of theparallax optic, and the refractive index n of the material between theplane of the pixels and the plane of the parallax optic (which in thedisplay of FIG. 1 is the substrate 7). H Yamamoto et al. show, in“Optimum parameters and viewing areas of stereoscopic full-color LEDdisplays using parallax barrier”, IEICE Trans. Electron., vol. E83-C,No. 10, p 1632 (2000), that the angle of separation between images in anautostereoscopic display depends on the distance between the displaypixels and the parallax barrier.

The half-angle α of FIG. 1 or 4 is given by:

$\begin{matrix}{{\sin\;\alpha} = {n\;{\sin\left( {\arctan\left( \frac{p}{2s} \right)} \right)}}} & (1)\end{matrix}$

One problem with many existing multiple view directional displays isthat the angular separation between the two images is too low. Inprinciple, the angle 2α between viewing windows may be increased byincreasing the pixel pitch p, decreasing the separation between theparallax optic and the pixels s or by increasing the refractive index ofthe substrate n.

Acknowledgement of the Prior Art

Co-pending UK patent application No. 0315171.9 describes a novel pixelstructures for use with standard parallax barriers which provides agreater angular separation between the viewing windows of amultiple-view directional display. However, it would be desirable to beable to use a standard pixel structure in a multiple-view directionaldisplay.

Co-pending UK patent application Nos. 0306516.6 and 0315170.1 proposeincreasing the angle of separation between the viewing windows of amultiple-view directional display by increasing the effective pitch ofthe pixels.

JP-A-7 28 015 propose increasing the pixel pitch and therefore theangular separation between viewing windows of a multiple-viewdirectional display by rotating the pixel configuration such that thecolor sub pixels run horizontally rather than vertically. This resultsin a threefold increase in pixel width and therefore roughly three timesincrease in viewing angle. This has the disadvantage that the pitch ofthe parallax barrier pitch must increase as the pixel pitch increaseswhich, in turn, increases the visibility of the parallax barrier to anobserver. The manufacture and driving of such a non-standard panel maynot be cost effective. In addition there may be applications in whichthe increase in viewing angle needs to be greater than three times thestandard configuration and in these cases simply rotating the pixelswill not be sufficient. This is often the case with high resolutionpanels.

In general, however, the pixel pitch is typically defined by therequired resolution specification of the display device and thereforecannot be changed.

It is not always practical or cost effective significantly to change therefractive index of the substrates, which are normally made of glass.

Other attempts at increasing the angular separation between the viewingwindows of a multiple-view directional display device have attempted toreduce the separation between the parallax optic and the plane of thepixels of the SLM. However, this has been difficult as will be explainedwith respect to FIG. 5, which is a schematic block view of the displaydevice 1 of FIG. 1 with an LCD as the SLM 4.

The LCD panel which forms the SLM 4 is made from two glass substrates.The substrate 6 carries TFT switching elements for addressing the pixelsof the SLM, and is therefore known as a “TFT substrate”. It will ingeneral also carry other layers for, for example, aligning the liquidcrystal layer 8 and allowing electrical switching of the liquid crystallayer. On the other substrate 7 (corresponding to the counter substrateof FIG. 1) color filters 18 are formed, together with other layers for,for example, aligning the liquid crystal layer. The counter substrate 7is therefore generally known as a “color filter substrate” or CFsubstrate. The LCD panel is formed by placing the color filter substrateopposite to the TFT substrate, and sandwiching the liquid crystal layer8 between the two substrates. In previous directional displays theparallax optic has been adhered to the completed LCD panel as shown inFIG. 5. The distance between the LCD pixels and the parallax optic isdetermined primarily by the thickness of the CF substrate of the LCD.Reducing the thickness of the CF substrate will reduce the distancebetween the LCD pixels and the parallax optic, but will make thesubstrate correspondingly weaker. A realistic minimum for LC substratethickness is about 0.5 mm, but the pixel-to-parallax optic separationwould still be too large for many applications if a parallax optic wereadhered to a substrate of this thickness.

Japanese Patent No. 9-50 019 discloses a method for increasing theangular separation between the viewing windows of a multiple-viewdirectional display device thereby to decrease viewing distance. Thispatent proposes reducing the thickness between the LC and barrier. Thisis done by constructing the stereoscopic LCD panel with the followingorder of components: LCD panel, parallax barrier, polarizer. Previouslythe order had been: LCD panel, polarizer, parallax barrier, as shown inFIG. 1. This reduces the separation between the parallax barrier and thepixel plane by the thickness of the polarizer, but this results in onlya limited increase in the angular separation between the viewing windowsof a multiple-view directional display device.

GB 2 278 222 discloses a spatial light modulator in which a microlensarray is disposed close to a liquid crystal layer to prevent theoccurrence of second order imaging at high angles of incidence.

GB 2 296 099 discloses a spatial light modulator in which elements suchas polarizers and a half wave plate 32 are disposed between the twosubstrates of a spatial light modulator. This is done to avoid the needto use highly isotropic substrates, so that cheaper and lighter plasticssubstrates can be used. If a polarizer is disposed outside a spatiallight modulator it is necessary for the substrates of the spatial lightmodulator to be highly isotropic to prevent the substrates from causingchanges in the polarization direction of light passing through thesubstrates.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,831,765 discloses a directional display which has aliquid crystal panel and a parallax barrier. The parallax barrier is notdisposed within the liquid crystal panel; the parallax barrier isoutside the liquid crystal panel and is separated from liquid crystallayer by a diffuser as well as by a substrate of the liquid crystalpanel.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,471 discloses a lenticular film for use with X-rays.Mercury, lead or tungsten powder, or other flowable X-ray absorbingmaterial is introduced into recesses in an X-ray transmissive material.

SUMMARY

A multiple view directional display has an image display element and aparallax optic, wherein the image display element comprises: a firstsubstrate; a second substrate; and an image display layer sandwichedbetween the first substrate and the second substrate. In at least someembodiments, the parallax optic is disposed within the image displayelement to put the parallax optic closer to the image display layer,thereby reducing the separation s of equation (1) and increasing theangular separation between two viewing windows produced by the displaydevice.

In other embodiments, the parallax optic need not be provided within animage display element.

According to one aspect of the technology, a parallax optic is providedwhich comprises plural spaced apart lenses, the lenses being arranged inan array in an array plane and spaced apart within the array plane.Preferably the spaced apart lenses are separated by regions in the arrayplane which are non-transmissive to visible light. The regions which arenon-transmissive to visible light can be filled with light-absorptivematerial or light reflecting material or both. The regions which arenon-transmissive to visible light can be, for example, black maskregions (e.g., regions occupied by a light non-transmissive mask).

In some example embodiments, the lenticules are spaced apart discretelenses, while in other example embodiments, the lenticules are formed asconvex elements on a lenticule layer, with regions between the convexelements being covered with or carrying a mask to form the regions whichare non-transmissive to visible light.

In differing implementations, the lenses can diversely configured, suchas convexo-convex or plano-convex, to name two examples.

In one example configuration, the lenses are formed in an array. Atleast one parameter of each lens of the array is chosen for controllingf-number for the array. Preferably one or more of the followingparameters for the lens array is chosen for controlling f-number for thearray: lens radius, lens width, lens refractive index.

According to another aspect of the technology, a parallax optic iscombined with an image display element in an image display device forproviding multiple-view directionality. In some example embodiments ofan image display device, the parallax optic is disposed within the imagedisplay element. In yet other example embodiments of an image displaydevice, the parallax optic is situated outside the image displayelement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the technology will now be described by way ofillustrative example with reference to the accompanying figures inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a conventional auto-stereoscopicdisplay device;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of viewing windows provided by aconventional multiple-view display device;

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of viewing windows produced by anotherconventional multiple-view directional display device;

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of another conventionalauto-stereoscopic display device;

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing the principle components of aconventional multiple-view directional display device;

FIGS. 6( a) and 6(b) illustrate a display according to a first exampleembodiment;

FIGS. 6( c) and 6(d) illustrate a display according to a further exampleembodiment;

FIGS. 7( a) and 7(b) illustrate a display according to a further exampleembodiment;

FIGS. 8( a) and 8(b) illustrate a display according to a further exampleembodiment;

FIGS. 9( a) and 9(b) illustrate a display according to a further exampleembodiment;

FIGS. 10( a) and 10(b) illustrate a display according to a furtherexample embodiment;

FIGS. 11( a) and 11(b) illustrate a display according to a furtherexample embodiment;

FIGS. 12( a) and 12(b) illustrate a display according to a furtherexample embodiment;

FIGS. 13( a) and 13(b) illustrate a display according to a furtherexample embodiment;

FIGS. 14( a) and 14(b) illustrate a display according to a furtherexample embodiment;

FIGS. 14( c) and 14(d) illustrate a display according to a furtherexample embodiment;

FIGS. 15( a) and 15(b) illustrate a display according to a furtherexample embodiment;

FIGS. 15( c) and 15(d) illustrate color filter substrates of displaysaccording to further embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 16( a) and 16(b) illustrate a display according to a furtherexample embodiment;

FIGS. 17( a) and 17(b) illustrate a display according to a furtherexample embodiment;

FIGS. 18( a) and 18(b) illustrate a display according to a furtherexample embodiment;

FIGS. 19( a) and 19(b) illustrate a display according to a furtherexample embodiment;

FIGS. 20( a) and 20(b) illustrate a display according to a furtherexample embodiment;

FIGS. 20( c) and 20(d) illustrate color filter substrates of displaysaccording to further embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 21( a) and 21(b) illustrate a display according to a furtherexample embodiment;

FIGS. 21( c) and 21(d) illustrate color filter substrates of displaysaccording to further embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 22 illustrates a display according to a further example embodiment;

FIG. 23 illustrates a display according to a further example embodiment;

FIG. 24 illustrates a display according to a further example embodiment;

FIG. 25 illustrates a display according to a further example embodiment;

FIGS. 26( a) to 26(d) show a method of manufacturing a display of theinvention;

FIG. 27 illustrates a display according to a further example embodiment;

FIG. 28 illustrates a display according to a further example embodiment;

FIG. 29 illustrates a display according to a further example embodiment;

FIG. 30 illustrates a display according to a further example embodiment;

FIG. 31 illustrates a backlight suitable for use in a display;

FIG. 32 illustrates a further backlight suitable for use in a display;

FIG. 33 illustrates a further backlight suitable for use in a display;

FIG. 34 illustrates a further backlight suitable for use in a display;

FIG. 35 is a side sectioned view of a parallax optic according to oneexample embodiment;

FIG. 36 is a side sectioned view of a parallax optic according toanother example embodiment;

FIG. 37 is a side sectioned view of a parallax optic according toanother example embodiment;

FIG. 38 is a side sectioned view of a parallax optic according toanother example embodiment;

FIG. 39 is a side sectioned view of a parallax optic according to yetanother example embodiment;

FIG. 40 is a top view of a parallax optic according an exampleembodiment;

FIG. 41 is a side sectioned view of an image display device according toan example embodiment;

FIG. 42 is a side sectioned view of an image display device according toanother example embodiment;

FIG. 43 is a side sectioned view of an image display device according toa further example embodiment;

FIG. 44 is a side sectioned view of an image display device according toyet yet another example embodiment;

FIG. 45 is a side sectioned view of an image display device according toyet another example embodiment;

FIG. 46 is a side sectioned view of an image display device according tostill another example embodiment; and

FIG. 47 is a schematic illustration of lens dimensions.

Like reference numerals denote like components throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 6( b) is a schematic plan view of a multiple-view directionaldisplay according to a first example embodiment. The display device 58comprises a first transparent substrate 6 and a second transparentsubstrate 7, with an image display layer 8 disposed between the firstsubstrate 6 and the second substrate 7. An array of color filters 18 isprovided on the second substrate 7, and the second substrate willtherefore be referred to as a color filter substrate.

The first substrate 6 is provided with pixel electrodes (not shown) fordefining an array of pixels in the image display layer 8, and is alsoprovided with switching elements (not shown) such as thin filmtransistors (TFTs) for selectively addressing the pixel electrodes. Thesubstrate 6 will be referred to as a ‘TFT substrate’.

The image display layer 8 is, in this example, a liquid crystal layer 8.The invention is not limited to this, however, and any transmissiveimage display layer may be used. Moreover, where the display is used ina “front barrier mode”, with the parallax optic disposed between theimage display layer and an observer, the display layer may alternativelybe an emissive display layer such as a plasma display or an organiclight-emitting device (OLED) layer.

The display 58 is assembled such that the color filters 18 are eachsubstantially opposite a respective pixel of the image display layer 8.Other components such as alignment layers may be disposed on thesurfaces of the substrate 6, 7 adjacent to the image display layer, anda counter electrode or electrodes may also be disposed on the CFsubstrate 7; these components are conventional, and will not bedescribed further. Furthermore, the display 58 may comprise furthercomponents such as polarizers, viewing-angle enhancement films,anti-reflection films etc., disposed outside the image display element;these components are also conventional and will not be describedfurther.

The color filter substrate 7 is shown in more detail in FIG. 6( a). Thecolor filter substrate 7 comprises a base substrate 19 made of alight-transmissive material such as glass. A parallax barrier aperturearray 13 is disposed on one principal surface of the base substrate 19.In the embodiment of FIG. 6( a) the parallax barrier aperture array 13is formed by depositing opaque strips 14 on the surface of the basesubstrate, thereby defining transmissive slits 15 between the opaquestrips.

The color filter substrate further comprises a spacer layer 20, in thisembodiment formed of light-transmissive resin, provided over theparallax barrier aperture array 13. Thus, the parallax barrier aperturearray is disposed within the thickness of the substrate 7. Finally, thecolor filters 18 are disposed on the upper surface of the spacer layer20.

In this embodiment, the parallax barrier aperture array 13 is separatedfrom the pixels of the liquid crystal layer 8 by the thickness of theresin spacer layer 20. The resin layer 20 can be made very thin, so thatthe separation s of equation (1) is small leading to a large angularseparation of the viewing windows. Although the resin layer 20 is shownas a single layer, in practice it may be necessary to deposit two ormore separate resin layers in order to obtain a spacer layer having thedesired thickness. For example, the layer 20 may have a thickness of 50microns and may comprise polyethylene perephthalate.

FIG. 6( d) is a schematic plan views of display 21 according to afurther example embodiment, and FIG. 6( c) shows the counter substrateof this display. Only the differences between this embodiment and theprevious embodiment will be described.

In this embodiment, the parallax barrier aperture array 13 and the colorfilters 18 are both disposed on a first principal surface of the basesubstrate 19 of the color filter substrate 7′. The spacer layer 20 ofthe color filter substrate, again formed of resin, is then disposed overthe parallax barrier aperture array 13 and the array of color filters.Thus, the parallax barrier aperture array is disposed within thethickness of the substrate 7′. Again, the parallax barrier aperturearray 13 is separated from the pixels in the liquid crystal layer 8 bythe thickness of the resin layer 20, and this can be made small. Thearray of color filters is similarly separated from the liquid crystallayer 8 and no additional array of color filters is needed at the saidliquid crystal layer. Providing the parallax barrier and color filtersin the same plane simplifies the manufacture of the display.

The resin layer 20 of FIGS. 6( a) to 6(d) is easy to manufacture with auniform thickness. The layer may be deposited by, for example,spin-coating or printing.

FIG. 7( b) is a plan view of a display 22 according to a further exampleembodiment, and FIG. 7( a) shows the color filter substrate of thedisplay 22. Only the differences between this embodiment and the firstembodiment will be described.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 7( a) and 7(b) the parallax barrier aperturearray 13 is deposited on a principal surface of the base substrate 19.The color filter substrate 7 further comprises a spacer layer 20 placedover the parallax barrier aperture array 13 and the array of colorfilters is disposed over the spacer layer 20. Thus, the parallax barrieraperture array is disposed within the thickness of the color filtersubstrate 7. In this embodiment, the spacer layer 20 is a glass spacerlayer rather than a resin spacer layer. The glass spacer layer isadhered to the parallax barrier, and may be etched in situ to a desiredthickness.

Use of a glass layer 20 makes further processing steps straightforward.For example, when the transmissive layer is a glass layer, manufacturingthe color filters 18 onto the transmissive layer 20 should be verysimilar to manufacturing color filters onto a normal glass substrate.

FIG. 8( b) is a schematic plan-view of a display 23 according to afurther example embodiment, and FIG. 8( a) shows the CF substrate ofthis display. The display 23 of this embodiment corresponds generally tothe display of FIG. 6( b), and only the differences between theembodiments will be described. In the display 23, the spacer layer 20between the parallax barrier aperture array and the array of colorfilters 18 is a layer of a plastics material. The layer of plasticsmaterial is adhered to the parallax barrier aperture array 13 by asuitable method such as lamination or gluing. The plastics material 20may alternatively be printed over the parallax barrier aperture array.

Use of a laminated plastics layer as the transmissive layer 20 ispotentially cheaper than using a spin-coating technique to for a resinlight transmissive layer. There may also be less waste material than ifresin is used, and the laminating process may be quicker.

FIG. 9( b) is a schematic plan view of a multiple view directionaldisplay 24 according to a further example embodiment, and FIG. 9( a)shows the CF substrate 25 of the display. The display 24 again comprisesa TFT substrate 6, a color filter substrate 25, and a liquid crystallayer or other image display layer 8 disposed between the TFT substrate6 and the color filter substrate 25.

FIG. 9( a) shows the color filter substrate 25 of the display. As can beseen from the figure, a plurality of recesses 26 is formed in a firstprincipal surface of a base substrate 19. The base substrate 19 may beformed of any suitable light-transmissive material such as, for example,glass, plastic, or glass-reinforced plastic. The recesses 26 may beformed by any suitable process such as, for example, an etching orcutting process. The recesses 26 are preferably in the form of slotsthat extend across the entire vertical height of the base substrate19—that is, they extend into the plane of the paper in FIG. 9( a). Therecesses 26 preferably have substantially the same depth and width asone another.

A parallax barrier aperture array is defined in the base substrate 19 bydepositing an opaque material into each recess 26 so that it covers atleast the bottom face of each recess. The opaque material therebydefines opaque strips 14 of a parallax barrier aperture array, andlight-transmissive regions are defined between the opaque strips 14. Theopaque strips 14, and thus the parallax barrier aperture array, aredisposed within the thickness of the substrate 25.

The opaque material that forms the opaque regions of the parallaxbarrier aperture array may be any suitable opaque material, and may bedeposited by any suitable method. For example, an opaque resin may bedeposited in the recesses 26 using a spinning process.

Once the opaque material has been deposited, the recesses are thenfilled with a light-transmissive material in order to planarise thesurface of the base substrate 19. For example, a light-transmissiveresin may be deposited in the recesses 26 using a spinning process.

Once the surface of the base substrate 19 has been made flat, an arrayof color filters 18 may be deposited over the base substrate 19 tocomplete the color filter substrate 25.

In this embodiment, the separation between the parallax barrier aperturearray and the liquid crystal layer is approximately equal to the depth dof the recesses 26. The depth d of the recesses can be made small, forexample 50 microns, so that a large angular separation between viewingwindows can be obtained.

FIG. 10( b) shows a display 27 according to a further exampleembodiment. The display 27 again comprises a TFT substrate 6, a colorfilter substrate 25′, and a liquid crystal layer (or other image displaylayer) 8 disposed between the TFT substrate 6 and the color filtersubstrate 25′. This embodiment corresponds generally to the embodimentof FIGS. 9( a) and 9(b), and only the differences between the twoembodiments will be described.

FIG. 10( a) is a schematic plan view of the color filter substrate 25′of the display 27. In this embodiment, the color filters 18 aredeposited on a first principal surface of the base substrate 19.Recesses 26 are defined in a second principal surface of the basesubstrate 19, for example using an etching or cutting technique. Anopaque material is then deposited in the recesses, to form the opaquestrips 14 of a parallax barrier aperture array. The opaque strips 14,and thus the parallax barrier aperture array, are disposed within thethickness of the substrate 25. If desired, the recesses may then befilled with a light-transmissive material in order to planarise thesecond principal surface of the base substrate 19. As in the previousembodiment, any suitable material may be deposited as the opaquematerial, and may be deposited by any suitable technique. In onepreferred embodiment, an opaque resin is deposited into the recesses 26using a spinning technique.

Compared to the conventional display of FIG. 5, the separation betweenthe parallax barrier and the liquid crystal layer is reduced by thedepth of the recesses, for example 50 microns, so that the angularseparation between viewing windows is therefore increased. Since thethickness of the base substrate is reduced only where the recesses arepresent, the structural strength of the base substrate may be greaterthan if the entire substrate had been made with a reduced thickness.

FIG. 11( b) is a schematic plan view of a multiple-view directionaldisplay 28 according to a further example embodiment. This display againconsists of a TFT substrate 6, a color filter substrate 29, and a liquidcrystal layer 8 or other image display layer disposed between the TFTsubstrate 6 and the color filter substrate 29.

The color filter substrate 29 is shown in FIG. 11( a). As can be seen,the color filter substrate 29 is generally similar to the color filtersubstrate 7 of FIG. 6( a), except that it is provided with two parallaxbarriers 13, 13′. The color filter substrate 29 comprises a basesubstrate 19 which is made of any suitable light-transmissive materialsuch as, for example, glass. A first parallax barrier aperture array 13is disposed over a first surface of the base substrate. The parallaxbarrier aperture array may be formed by, for example, depositing stripes14 of an opaque material over the substrate to form the opaque portions14 of a parallax barrier aperture array 13.

A first light-transmissive spacer layer 20 is then deposited over thesurface of the substrate 19 on which the parallax barrier aperture arrayis formed. The first spacer layer may be formed of, for example, alight-transmissive resin, glass, or a transparent plastics material asin the embodiments of FIGS. 6( a), 7(a) and 8(a) described above.

A second parallax barrier aperture array 13′ is disposed over the uppersurface of the first spacer layer 20. This second parallax barrieraperture array may again be provided by depositing opaque material overthe spacer layer 20 in order to form opaque portions 14′ of the secondparallax barrier aperture array.

The color filter substrate further comprises a second spacer layer 20′provided over the second parallax barrier aperture array. Both parallaxbarrier aperture arrays 13,13′ are disposed within the thickness of thesubstrate 29. The second spacer layer may again be any suitablelight-transmissive material such as a light-transmissive resin, a glasslayer, glass, or a light-transmissive plastics material.

The color filters 18 are deposited over the upper surface of the secondspacer layer 20′.

The two parallax barriers 13, 13′ are arranged such that a transmissiveregion of the second barrier 13′ is not disposed directly in front of antransmissive region of the first parallax barrier 13. The two parallaxbarriers are arranged such that a transmissive region in the secondparallax barrier 13′ is aligned with an opaque region 14 of the firstparallax barrier 13, and so that an opaque region 14′ of the secondparallax barrier 13′ is aligned with a transmissive region of the firstparallax barrier 13. As a result, light emitted by the backlight in adirection parallel to, or close to, the normal of the display face ofthe display is blocked by one or other of the parallax barriers 13, 13′.Because the two parallax barriers are arranged such that transmissiveregion in the first parallax barrier 13 are laterally offset withrespect to transmissive regions in the second parallax barrier 13′,light that leaves the second parallax barrier 13′ is travelling in firstand second ranges of directions that are inclined with respect to thenormal.

Many backlights provide their greatest intensity along the normal axis,and this is a disadvantage in a multiple view directional display sincethe viewing windows are generally located at positions that areangularly displaced from the normal axis. In a typical dual view displaythe two viewing windows may be at ±40 degrees to the normal. The use oftwo parallax barriers as in the display of FIG. 11( b) can provide a“black central window”—that is, a region centred about the normal to thedisplay face of the display in which the intensity is low.

This embodiment is not limited to the provision of two parallax barrierson the color filter substrate. In principle, three or more parallaxbarrier aperture arrays could be provided over the substrate 19, witheach pair of adjacent parallax barrier aperture arrays being separatedby a respective spacer layer.

In the embodiment of FIG. 11( a), it is not necessary for the two spacerlayers 20, 20′ to be formed of the same material. The two spacer layersmay be made of different materials—thus, as an example, the first spacerlayer 20 could be a glass layer whereas the second spacer layer 20′could be a light-transmissive resin layer.

In another embodiment (not illustrated), the color filter substratecomprises two parallax barrier aperture arrays, one disposed on eachside of the base substrate 19. In this embodiment, a first parallaxbarrier array would be formed on one principal surface of the basesubstrate 19 and the filters 18 would be provided over the firstparallax barrier aperture array with a light-transmissive spacer layerbeing interposed between the first parallax barrier aperture array andthe color filters 18 as in FIG. 6( a), 7(a), or 8(a). A second parallaxbarrier aperture array would be formed on the second principal surfaceof the base substrate 19, and this would be overlaid by alight-transmissive layer so that both parallax barrier aperture arrayswould be disposed within the thickness of the color filter substrate.

FIGS. 12( a) and 12(b) show a further example embodiment. FIG. 12( b) isa schematic plan view of a multiple-view directional display 30according to this example embodiment. The display device again comprisesa TFT substrate 6, a color filter substrate 31, and a liquid crystallayer 8 or other image display layer disposed between the TFT substrate6 and the color filter substrate 31.

FIG. 12( a) is a schematic plan view of the color filter substrate 31 ofthis example embodiment. The color filter substrate 31 comprises a basesubstrate 19 which may be made of any suitable light-transmissivematerial. A plurality of recesses 26 are defined in one surface of thesubstrate 19, by any suitable process such as etching or cutting. Whenthe substrate 31 is seen in front view, the recesses 26 appear asparallel strips that run from top to bottom of the base substrate 19.

As shown in FIG. 12( a), in this embodiment the width of a recess,parallel to the surface of the substrate 19, decreases with distanceinto the substrate. In the embodiment of FIG. 12( a) the recesses 26have a triangular cross-section, but the recesses are not limited tothis specific cross-section.

A parallax barrier aperture array 13 is formed by depositing an opaque(or reflective) material (or both) into the recesses 26 so as to formopaque portions 14 of the parallax barrier aperture array. The opaquematerial preferably substantially fills the recesses 26, so as toplanarise the upper surface of the base substrate 19. In a preferredembodiment, the opaque material is an opaque resin that is deposited inthe recesses 26 by a spinning process—however, in principle, any opaquematerial may be used.

The color filter substrate 31 further comprises a light-transmissivespacer layer 20 deposited over the upper face of the base substrate 19.The parallax barrier aperture array is thus disposed within thethickness of the substrate 31. As described above, thelight-transmissive spacer layer may be a light-transmissive resin layer,a glass layer, a layer of light-transmissive plastics material, etc. Thespacer layer may be adhered to the substrate 19 in any suitable manner.

Finally, the color filters 18 are deposited on the upper surface of thespacer layer 20 to form the color filter substrate 31.

In this embodiment, the parallax barrier has a three-dimensionalprofile, since the opaque elements 14 of the parallax barrier aperturearray extend over a finite depth, for example 50 microns, into thesubstrate. The parallax barrier acts in a similar way to a conventionalparallax barrier, such as the parallax barrier of FIG. 6( a). However,owing to the three-dimensional structure of the parallax barrier, lightthat is incident on the parallax barrier at high angles to the normal tothe plane of the substrate 19 is blocked whereas such rays would betransmitted by a conventional parallax barrier of the type shown in FIG.6( a). This may be beneficial in preventing secondary windows.

In the color filter substrate of FIG. 12( a), the depth of the recessesmay be varied over the substrate 19, in order to vary the depths of theopaque portions of the parallax barrier. Doing this would mean that thecut-off angle, relative to the normal to the plane of the substrate, atwhich light rays are blocked would vary across the display device.

FIG. 13( a) shows a further color filter substrate 31′, and FIG. 13( b)shows the color filter substrate of 13(a) incorporated in a display 30′.These embodiments are generally similar to the embodiments of FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b) respectively, and only the differences will be describedhere.

In the color filter substrate 31′ of FIG. 13( a), the recesses 26 arenot formed in the base substrate 19. Instead, the color filter substratecomprises a light-transmissive spacer layer 32 provided over the basesubstrate 19, and the recesses 26 are formed in the spacer layer 32. Thespacer layer 32 may be of any suitable material such as, for example,light-transmissive resin, glass, or a light-transmissive plasticsmaterial. The recesses 26 may be formed in the spacer layer 32 by anysuitable method, such as cutting or etching.

An opaque material is deposited in the recesses 26 in the spacer layer32 to form the opaque portions 14 of a parallax barrier aperture array,as described in connection with FIG. 12( a) above. Finally, a secondspacer layer 20 is deposited over the first spacer layer 32, and colorfilters 18 are formed over the upper surface of the second spacer layer20. The parallax barrier aperture array is thus disposed within thethickness of the substrate 31′.

In the embodiments described above, the parallax optic has beenconstituted by a parallax barrier aperture array. The present inventionis not, however, limited to this particular form of parallax optic, butmay be employed with other types of parallax optic.

FIGS. 14( a) and 14(b) illustrate a further example embodiment, in whichthe parallax optic is formed by a lenticular lens array.

FIG. 14( b) is a schematic plan view of a multiple-view directionaldisplay according to this example embodiment. The display 33 againcomprises a TFT substrate 6, a color filter substrate 34, and a liquidcrystal layer or other image display layer 8 disposed between the colorfilter substrate 34 and the TFT substrate 6.

FIG. 14( a) shows the color filter substrate 34 of the display device33. The color filter substrate 34 comprises a light-transmissive basesubstrate 19 having an upper surface which is profiled so as to form alenticular lens array 35. The base substrate 19 may be formed in anysuitable manner such as, for example, by moulding a light-transmissiveplastics material using a suitable mould to provide the lenticular lensarray 35 on one surface of the base substrate 19. As an alternative, thelens array 35 may be formed by pressing a glass substrate.

The color filter substrate further comprises a spacer layer 20 depositedover the lenticular lens array 35. The spacer layer islight-transmissive, and is preferably formed of a resin or plasticsmaterial so that the lower surface of the spacer layer can follow theprofile of the lenticular lens array 35. Color filters 18 are depositedon the upper surface of spacer layer 20, which is preferably flat. Thelenticular array is thus disposed within the thickness of the substrate31.

In this embodiment, the separation between the parallax optic (thelenticular lens array 35) and the liquid crystal layer 8 is equal to thethickness of the spacer layer 20, which must be at least thick enough toplanarise the lenses. The spacer layer 20 may be made thin, so that alarge angular separation between viewing windows can be obtained.

FIGS. 14( c) and 14(d) shows a further example embodiment. FIG. 14( c)shows a further substrate 34 a. The substrate 34 a comprises a firstlight-transmissive substrate 19 which has a surface that is profiled toform a first lenticular lens array 35. The substrate 34 a furthercomprises a second light-transmissive substrate 19 a which has a surfacethat is profiled to form a second lenticular lens array 35 a. Thelenticular lens arrays 35,35 a may be formed in any suitable manner, forexample using one of the methods described with reference to FIG. 14( a)above.

The light transmissive substrates are assembled with the surfaces onwhich the lenticular arrays are formed opposite to one another, as shownin FIG. 14( c). A transparent spacer layer 20 is disposed between thetwo lenticular lens arrays 35,35 a, and the layer 20 may be, forexample, a transparent resin layer or a layer of transparent adhesive.The two lenticular lens arrays 35,35 a are close to one another, andcombine to give a higher focal power than a lens array with only onecurved surface such as the lens array of FIG. 14( a). Both lenticulararrays are disposed within the thickness of the substrate 34 a.

An array of color filters 18 is deposited on one outer surface of thesubstrate 34 a, which is preferably flat.

FIG. 14( d) shows a display 33 a incorporating the substrate 34 a ofFIG. 14( c), an image display layer 8 such as a liquid crystal layer,and a second substrate 6.

FIGS. 15( a) and 15(b) show a further example embodiment. Thisembodiment is generally similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 14( a) and14(b), and only the differences will be described.

In FIGS. 14( a) and 14(b) the lenticular lens array 35 is integral withthe base substrate 19, and is obtained by suitably profiling the uppersurface of the base substrate 19. In the embodiment of FIGS. 15( a) and15(b), however, the lenticular lens array 35′ is not integral with thebase substrate 19. Instead, the base substrate 19 has a substantiallyflat upper surface, and the lenticular lens array 35′ is deposited onthe upper surface of the base substrate 19. This may be done by anysuitable technique. For example, a layer of light-transmissive resin orlight-transmissive plastics material may be deposited over the uppersurface of the base substrate 19, and this layer may be pattered to formthe lenticular lens array 35′.

FIG. 15( c) illustrates a CF substrate 34″, which differs from thesubstrate 34′ of FIG. 15( a) in that the lenticular lens array 34″ is“double-sided”. In other words, whereas the lenticules of the array 35′are plano-convex, the lenticules of the array 35″ are convexo-convex.Although such an arrangement is more difficult to manufacture becauserecesses have to be formed in the substrate 19, optical performance isimproved. For example, a display using the substrate 34″, of FIG. 15( c)has a smaller crosstalk region and wider freedom of viewer movement.

FIG. 15( d) illustrates another modified CF substrate 34′″, whichdiffers from the substrate 34″ of FIG. 15( c) in that the lenticules ofthe array 34′″ are spaced apart and are separated by black mask regions35″″. In fact, any embodiment using a lens array as the parallax opticmay similarly have the individual lenses or lens elements separated byblack mask regions which are non-transmissive to visible light.Moreover, FIG. 15( d) provides an example of a display wherein theparallax optic is disposed Adjacent to the image display layer 8.

The f-number of the lenticular lens array is required to be very low,which makes the array difficult to manufacture. By decreasing thediameter of each lens of the array and keeping the pitch constant (byfilling the gaps between the lenses with light-absorbing material orlight-reflecting material or both), the f-number of the lenses may beincreased. Such an arrangement improves performance, for example interms of providing a smaller crosstalk region and larger freedom ofviewer position.

FIGS. 16( a) and 16(b) show a further example embodiment. FIG. 16( b) isa schematic plan view through a multiple-view directional display 37 ofthis embodiment, and FIG. 16( a) is a schematic plan view of the colorfilter substrate 36. This embodiment is generally similar to theembodiment of FIGS. 6( a) and 6(b), and only the differences will bedescribed here.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 16( a) and 16(b), the positions of theparallax barrier aperture array 13 and the color filters 18 areinterchanged compared to their positions in the embodiment of FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b). That is, the color filters 18 are deposited on a principalsurface of the light-transmissive base substrate 19. A spacer layer 20is deposited over the color filters 18, and the parallax optic is formedover the upper surface of the spacer layer 20. In the embodiment shownin FIGS. 16( a) and 16(b) a parallax barrier aperture array 13 forms theparallax optic, but this embodiment is not limited to this particulartype of parallax optic. The spacer layer 20 may be a light-transmissiveresin layer, a glass layer, a light-transmissive layer of plasticsmaterial, etc.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 16( a) and 16(b) the parallax barrier array13 is disposed substantially adjacent to the liquid crystal layer 8. Alarge angular separation between different viewing windows can thereforebe obtained.

FIGS. 17( a) and 17(b) illustrate a display 38 according to a furtherexample embodiment. In this embodiment, the parallax optic isconstituted by a reactive mesogen parallax barrier. This embodimentcorresponds generally to the embodiment of FIGS. 6( a) and 6(b), andonly the differences will be described here.

The RM parallax barrier in this embodiment is formed by strips 40 of areactive mesogen material disposed over the upper surface of thelight-transmissive base substrate 19 of the color filter substrate 39. Apolarizer 41 is provided over the upper surface of the base substrate 19including over the strips 40 of RM material. The strips 40 of RMmaterial and the polarizer 41 form a RM parallax barrier 42. Theoperation of a RM parallax barrier is explained in detail in EP A 0 829744.

The color filter substrate 39 further comprises a spacer layer 20deposited over the upper surface of the RM parallax barrier 42, so thatthe parallax barrier 42 is thus disposed within the thickness of thesubstrate 39. Color filters 18 are deposited on the upper surface of thespacer layer 20. As in previous embodiments, the spacer layer 20 may be,for example, a light transmissive resin layer, a glass layer, alight-transmissive plastic layer, etc. The base substrate 19 may be aglass substrate, a plastics substrate, a glass-reinforced plasticssubstrate, etc.

In the multiple-view directional display 38 of this embodiment, theseparation between the parallax barrier 42 and the liquid crystal layer8 is again approximately equal to the thickness of the spacer layer 20.The spacer layer may be made thin, so that good angular separationbetween different viewing windows can be achieved.

This embodiment has the further advantage that the RM parallax barrieris an active parallax barrier, and may be switched (using suitableaddressing means, not shown) to put the strips of RM material 40 in atransparent state so that the parallax barrier is disabled or “switchedoff”. If the parallax barrier 42 is disabled, the display device willact as a conventional 2-dimensional or single view display device. Thus,this embodiment provides a display that is operable in either a 2-Ddisplay mode or a 3-D or multiple view display mode, and that canprovide good angular separation between adjacent viewing windows whenoperating in the 3-D or multiple view display mode.

FIG. 18( b) illustrates a display 38′ according to a further exampleembodiment, and FIG. 18( a) is a schematic sectional view of the colorfilter substrate 39′ of the display. The display 38′ of this embodimentcorresponds essentially to the embodiment of FIGS. 17( a) and 17(b)except that the spacer layer 20 is omitted and the color filters 18 aredisposed directly on the upper surface of the polarizer 42. All 30 otherfeatures of the display 38′ of FIG. 18( b) correspond to those of thedisplay 38 of FIG. 17( b) and so will not be described further here.

FIGS. 19( a) and 19(b) show a further example embodiment. In thisembodiment, the color filter substrate 44 of the multiple-viewdirectional display 43 is provided with an active parallax barrier 46.FIG. 19( b) is a schematic plan view through the display device 43 andFIG. 19( a) is a schematic sectional view of the color filter substrate44.

The active parallax barrier 46 is formed by a plurality of regions 47 ofa material whose optical properties are switchable disposed on thesurface of the base substrate 19. The regions 47 may be in the form ofstrips that extend into the plane of the paper in FIG. 19( a). Theactive parallax barrier is formed by the regions 47 in combination withanother layer 45 disposed over the regions 47 which may be a linearpolarizer or a transparent spacer layer depending on the material usedfor the active strips 47.

In a preferred embodiment the regions 47 are regions of a liquid crystalmaterial and the layer 45 is a linear polarizer. As is well known, aliquid crystal material may be addressed so as to either rotate or notrotate the plane of polarization of linearly polarized light passingthrough it. Preferably, the regions 47 of liquid crystal material can beswitched between a state in which it rotates the plane of polarizationof linearly polarized light by 90° and a state in which it does notrotate the plane of polarization of linearly polarized light. Thus, theregions 47 of liquid crystal material may be addressed so that lightpassing through the regions 47 is either transmitted by the linearpolarizer 45 (in which case the regions 47 define transmissive regions)or is blocked by the linear polarizer 45 (in which case the regions 47define opaque regions).

The display 43 is required to be illuminated from the color filtersubstrate side by polarized light, either from a light source that emitspolarized light or from a polarizer disposed in front of a light source.Alternatively, it may be illuminated from the TFT side, in which case afurther polarizer (not shown) must be disposed beyond the color filtersubstrate.

If light that does not pass through the regions 47 of switchable opticalproperties (i.e., that passes through a gap between adjacent activeregions) is passed by the polarizer 45, a parallax barrier is formedwhen light that passes through the regions 47 is blocked by thepolarizer; in this case, a 3-D or multiple view display mode isobtained. If the regions 47 are switched so that light that passesthrough a region 47 is transmitted by the polarizer 45, then no barrierexists and a 2-D or single view display mode is obtained.

It would in principle also be possible to arrange the transmissiondirection of the polarizer 45 and the polarization direction of theincident light such that light passing through the gaps between theregions 47 of liquid crystal material is blocked by the polarizer 45. Inthis case a parallax barrier is formed when the regions 47 rotate theplane of polarization of incident light so that it can pass through thepolarizer 45. However, when the regions 47 were switched so that lightpassing through the strips 47 is blocked by the polarizer 45, a darkdisplay would be produced as all light would be blocked by thepolarizer.

The regions of active material 47 are not limited to liquid crystalmaterial. Any material that can be addressed to alter its opticalproperties can in principle be used. For example, a polymer-dispersedliquid crystal material may be used as the material of the activeparallax barrier. As is well-known, a PDLC consists of droplets ofliquid crystal material dispersed through a polymer matrix. Therefractive index of the liquid crystal droplets can be varied, and thePDLC will transmit light if the refractive index of the liquid crystaldroplets is the same as the refractive index of the polymer matrix.However, if the liquid crystal material is switched so that itsrefractive index is different from the refractive index of the polymermatrix, light passing through the PDLC is scattered.

Another suitable material for the active parallax barrier is a dichroicguest-host material.

This embodiment allows the parallax barrier to be switched on and off,thereby allowing either a 3-D (or multiple view) or a 2-D display modeto be selected. Furthermore, it is possible to arrange the activeparallax barrier 46 so that the configuration of transmissive and opaqueareas can be altered. For example, the active parallax barrier 46 may beswitched so that the opaque regions of the barrier move from oneposition to another. This effectively causes the barrier to betranslated across the area of the display device, and this would alterthe position of the viewing windows. Thus, in this embodiment, it ispossible to control the position of the viewing windows by suitablyaddressing the active parallax barrier 46. This embodiment would beparticularly useful when combined with an observer tracking device whichtracks the observer of the display, as the position of the viewingwindows could be controlled on the basis of the position of the observeras determined by the observer-tracking device.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the polarizer 45 iscontained within a liquid crystal display element. The polarizer 45 musttherefore be able to withstand the harsh processing conditions thatoccur during manufacture of a liquid crystal panel. Conventionalpolarizers used on the outside of a liquid crystal display may well notstand the processing conditions, and so cannot be used. This has thepossible disadvantage that it may be necessary to use a polarizer havinga lower contrast ratio than conventional polarizers used outside aliquid crystal panel. If this is the case, the polarizer 45 can beoriented so that its poor contrast ratio affects either the contrastratio of the parallax barrier or the contrast ratio of the pixels of theliquid crystal layer 8.

Where the layer 45 is a spacer layer, it may be treated so that italigns liquid crystal material, for example of the regions 47, with aparticular alignment direction and pre-tilt angle. For example, thespacer layer may be coated with a polyimide layer (not shown) and rubbedand/or exposed to ultraviolet light in a conventional photo-alignmentprocess.

In alternative embodiments, the color filters may be disposed on the TFTsubstrate 6 or between the active parallax barrier 46 and the substrate19.

FIG. 20( b) shows a display 48 according to a further exampleembodiment, and FIG. 20( a) shows the color filter substrate 49 of thedisplay. This embodiment corresponds generally to the embodiment of FIG.6( a)-6(b) except that in this embodiment, the color filter substrate 49of the multiple-view directional display 48 again comprises an activeparallax optic 35″. In this embodiment the active parallax optic 35″ isan active lenticular lens array. The lenticular lens array can beswitched between a mode in which it has substantially no lensing effect(so that no parallax optic exists) and a mode in which it has a lensingeffect (so that a parallax optic is formed). The lenticular lens array35″ may be addressed by suitable addressing means (not shown).

For example, the lenticules of the lenticular lens array may be made ofa liquid crystal material that is addressed by electrodes (not shown)disposed on opposite sides of the lenticules. The liquid crystalmaterial is chosen so that, for some applied voltage across the lensarray, its refractive index is as close as possible to the refractiveindex of the base substrate 19. When the appropriate voltage is appliedbetween the electrodes provided on opposite sides of a lenticule, therefractive index of the liquid crystal material of that lenticuletherefore closely matches the refractive index of the spacer layer 20,and the lenticule has substantially no lensing effect. By varying theapplied voltage, however, the liquid crystal material of the lenticulemay be changed so that its refractive index is made different to therefractive index of the substrate 19. The lenticule therefore acts as alens, and so forms an element of a parallax optic.

The lenticules 50 of the active lenticular lens array may be arranged asgraded refractive (GRIN), or they be arranged as Fresnel lenses.

FIG. 20( c) illustrates a substrate 49 which differs from that shown inFIG. 20( a) in that the glass substrate 19 is recessed to accommodatethe active lenticular lens array 35″. In this arrangement, therefractive index of the active array should substantially match that ofthe substrate 19 in the single view or non-directional mode ofoperation.

FIG. 20( d) illustrates a substrate 49 in which the lenses of the activearray 35″ are convexo-convex to provide improved performance, such as asmaller crosstalk region and a greater freedom of movement of theviewer. In this case, in the single view mode of operation, therefractive index of the array 35″ should substantially match therefractive indices of the substrate 19 and the spacer 20.

FIG. 21( b) shows a display 48′ according to a further exampleembodiment, and FIG. 21( a) shows the color filter substrate 49′ of thedisplay 48′. This embodiment is generally similar to the embodiment ofFIGS. 20( a) and 20(b), and only the differences will be described here.

The multiple-view directional display 48′ of FIG. 21( b) has a colorfilter substrate 49′ that incorporates an active lenticular lens array35″. In this embodiment, however, switching of the lens array isachieved in a different way. In this embodiment, the lenticules 50 aremade of liquid crystal material. However, the microscopic structure ofthe liquid crystal material is fixed, and the liquid crystal material isnot addressed in operation of the device.

The switching of the lens array in this embodiment is achieved by makinguse of the fact that the refractive index of a liquid crystal materialis generally dependent on the polarization state of the light passingthrough it. The liquid crystal material of the lenticules 50 is chosensuch that, for light of one polarization state, the refractive index ofthe liquid crystal material is substantially the same as the refractiveindex of the spacer layer 20. Thus the liquid crystal material hassubstantially no lensing effect on light of this polarization state.However, for another polarization state, in particular for apolarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state, therefractive index of the liquid crystal material will not match therefractive index of the layer 20 so that the liquid crystal material hasa lensing effect for light of the second polarization state.

The liquid crystal lenticules 50 are switched on or off by changing thepolarization state of light entering the display 48. This may be done byproviding a polarization switch 51 that can change the polarizationstate of light passing through a selected portion of the polarizationswitch 51, for example by selecting one of two orthogonal linearpolarizations. The polarization switch 51 may be constituted by, forexample, a liquid crystal cell and is followed by a polarizer 51′.

FIG. 21( c) illustrates another substrate 49′ in which the glasssubstrate 19 is recessed so as to accommodate the array 35″. In thiscase, one of the refractive indices of the material of the array 35″must substantially match the refractive index of the glass substrate 19so as to provide a single view mode of operation.

FIG. 21( d) illustrates another form of the color filter substrate 49′in which both the spacer 20 and the glass substrate 19 have recesses toaccommodate the lens array 35″, which is convexo-convex. In this case,one of the refractive indices of the material of the array 35″ isrequired substantially to match the refractive indices of the spacer 20and the glass substrate 19 in order to provide a non-directional orsingle view mode of operation.

FIG. 22 is a schematic sectional view of a multiple-view directionaldisplay 52 according to a further example embodiment. This is in manyways similar to the display 58 of FIG. 6( b), except that a plurality ofprisms 53 are provided on the external surface of the base substrate 19of the color filter substrate 7. In FIG. 22 the prisms 53 are shown ashaving a triangular cross-section. The prisms 53 work in combinationwith the parallax barrier 13 provided inside the display device. In use,the device is illuminated by a light provided behind the TFT substrate6, so that the base substrate 19 of the color filter substrate 7 formsthe exit face of the display device. The prism structure varies theangle of separation between the left and right images induced by theparallax barrier.

In the embodiment of FIG. 22, the prisms are arranged so that theyreduce the angle of separation between the viewing windows of differentimages.

Although the prisms are shown as having a triangular cross-section inFIG. 22, this embodiment is not limited to prisms having a triangularcross-section. In principle, any prism structure that reduces the angleof separation between two viewing windows may be used. Furthermore,where prisms having a triangular cross-section are used, it is notnecessary for the prisms to have a cross-section that is an equilateraltriangle. In fact any symmetrical or asymmetrical convergent ordivergent element may be used, for example to suit any application ofthe display.

The embodiment of FIG. 22 may be of use in, for example, anautostereoscopic display device where the angular separation between theviewing windows of the left-eye image and the right-eye image isrequired to provide a separation between the left-eye and right-eyewindows that is equal to the distance between the two eyes of a human atthe desired viewing distance of the display.

FIG. 23 shows a display 52′ according to a further example embodiment.This display 52′ corresponds generally to the display of FIG. 22, exceptthat the prisms 53 provided on the surface of the base substrate 19 areintended to increase the angle of separation between the two viewingwindows.

FIG. 24 illustrates a multiple-view directional display 59 according toa further example embodiment. The display 59 of this embodimentcorresponds generally to the display device 20 of FIG. 6( b), exceptthat it further comprises switchable means 54 for varying the anglebetween two viewing windows produced by the device. The switchable means54 may be switched between a state in which it has substantially noeffect on the angular separation between two viewing windows and anotherstate in which it will increase or decrease the angular separationbetween two viewing windows. In this embodiment the switchable means 54comprises a plurality of light-transmissive prisms 53 mounted on theexternal surface of the base substrate 19 of the color filter substrate.An active layer 55 is disposed over the prisms 53 so as to planarise theprisms. The active layer is contained by a transparent plate 56. Theprisms and the transparent plate may be formed of glass, transparentresin, transparent plastics material, etc. The active layer 55 maycomprise, for example, a liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layeris selected such that, when no electric field is applied across theliquid crystal material, the refractive index of the liquid crystalmaterial matches the refractive index of the prisms 53. In this state,the prisms have substantially no effect on the angular separationbetween two viewing windows produced by the device 54.

The switchable means 54 further comprises electrodes (not shown) thatallow an electric field to be applied across the liquid crystal layer55. By applying a voltage across the electrodes, and thereby applying anelectric field across the liquid crystal layer, it is possible to varythe refractive index of the liquid crystal material so that it becomesdifferent from the refractive index of the prisms 53. Light passingthrough the interface between a prism and the liquid crystal layertherefore undergoes refraction. In consequence, the angular separationbetween two viewing windows formed by the display device is altered bythe prisms 53. This allows the display 59 to switch, for example,between a dual-view display mode and an autostereoscopic display mode.

The switchable means 54 may allow the angular separation between twoviewing windows to be controlled continuously by continually varying theelectric field applied across the liquid crystal layer. This allows theangular separation between two viewing windows to be tuned to suit aparticular use of the display device 54. This embodiment is particularlyuseful if information about the longitudinal separation between thedisplay and an observer is available, for example from an observertracking device—in an autostereoscopic display mode the switchable means54 may control the angular separation between the left-eye and right-eyeviewing windows so that the lateral separation at the observer is keptequal to the separation between the two eyes of a human.

FIG. 25 shows a multiple-view directional display 57 according to afurther example embodiment. This display 57 is generally similar to thedisplay 54 of FIG. 24, and only the differences will be described here.

In the display 57 of FIG. 25, the switchable means 54 for varying theangular separation between two viewing windows formed by the displaycomprises prisms 53 disposed on the external surface of the substrate 19of the color filter substrate 7. A liquid crystal-layer 55 is placedover the prisms 53, but, in contrast to the embodiment of FIG. 24, themicroscopic structure of the liquid crystal layer is fixed. No means foraddressing the liquid crystal layer 55 are therefore required.

The refractive index of the liquid crystal layer 55 is dependent on thestate of polarization of light passing through the liquid crystal layer.The liquid crystal layer is chosen such that its refractive index, forone polarization state, is substantially equal to the polarization stateof the prisms 53. In this case, light passing through the prismsundergoes substantially no refraction.

For light of another polarization state, for example a polarizationstate orthogonal to the first polarization state, however, therefractive index of the liquid crystal material 55 is not equal to therefractive index of the prisms 53. For light of this second polarizationstate, therefore, refraction occurs at the interface between the prismsand the liquid crystal layer 55, leading to a variation in the angularseparation between two viewing windows formed by the display 57.

The refraction effect in this embodiment may be switched on or off bysuitably selecting the polarization state of light entering of leavingthe panel. This may be done by providing a polarization switch 51 and apolarizer 51′ between the light source and the observer. In FIG. 25 thepolarization switch 51 and the polarizer 51′ are disposed between thedisplay device and an observer, but they could alternatively be providedbetween the light source and the display device. The polarization switchmay be, for example, a liquid crystal cell.

The embodiments of FIGS. 24 and 25 may be effected using a prismstructure that tends to increase the angular separation between viewingwindows, as in FIG. 23.

FIGS. 26( a) to 26(d) illustrate a method of manufacturing a display.The method takes, as its starting point, a conventional image displaydevice 63 having an image display layer 8 (such as a liquid crystallayer) disposed between two substrates 60, 61 as shown in FIG. 26( a).The image display device 63 will contain other components such aselectrodes and switching elements for controlling the image displaylayer 8, and color filters in the case of a color image display device;there may be entirely conventional and are omitted from FIGS. 26( a)-(d)for clarity of description.

According to the method of this embodiment, the thickness of onesubstrate 60 of the image display device 63 is reduced, preferably to athickness in the range of 50 μm to 150 μm. The thickness of thesubstrate 60 may be reduced by any suitable method such as, for example,a mechanical grinding method or a chemical etching method. The substrate60 is thus transformed to a thin transparent layer 60′, as shown in FIG.26( b). The thickness of the thin transparent layer 60′ is preferablysubstantially uniform over the area of the layer 60′.

Next, a further substrate 62 is adhered to the thin transparent layer60′ such that a parallax optic 13 is disposed between the thintransparent layer 60′ and the further substrate. This may convenientlybe done by providing the parallax optic on or in a surface of thefurther substrate, and adhering that surface of the further substrate tothe thin transparent layer 60′. For example, a parallax barrier aperturearray may be printed onto a surface of the further substrate 62 as shownin FIG. 26( c). Alternatively, a lenticular lens array or RM parallaxbarrier may be defined in/on a surface of the further substrate. Thefurther substrate 62 may be adhered to the thin transparent layer 60′using a suitable transparent adhesive. FIG. 26( a)-26(d) thus serve asan example wherein an image display layer (e.g., layer 8) is disposedadjacent the second substrate (e.g., substrate 60′), wherein the thirdsubstrate (e.g., substrate 62) comprises the parallax optic 13, andwherein the parallax optic 13 of substrate 62 is positioned adjacent tothe second substrate (e.g., substrate 60′).

The further substrate 62 may be adhered directly to the thin transparentlayer 60′, as shown in FIG. 26( d). Alternatively one or more componentsmay be interposed between the further substrate 62 and the thintransparent layer 60′, as described with reference to FIG. 28 below.

The resultant display is shown in FIG. 26( d) (the transparent adhesiveis omitted from FIG. 26( d) for clarity). The parallax optic isseparated from the image display layer 8 by only the thin transparentlayer 60′ obtained by reducing the thickness of the substrate 60 (and bythe thickness of the transparent adhesive). The parallax optic can thusbe put close to the image display layer 8, so that the advantagesdescribed above are obtained.

In the method of FIGS. 26( a) to 26(d), the substrate 60 is incorporatedin a display device 63 when its thickness is reduced. Other elements ofthe display device 63 provide physical support for the substrate 60during the process of reducing its thickness and after its thickness hasbeen reduced. It is therefore possible to reduce the thickness of thesubstrate 60 to as little as 50 μm without there being a serious risk ofthe substrate breaking. In contrast, if the thickness of an isolatedsubstrate is reduced it is difficult to reduce the thicknesssignificantly below 0.5 mm without there being a serious risk of thesubstrate breaking.

The method of FIGS. 26( a) to 26(d) may be used to manufacture, forexample, a display 22 as shown in FIG. 7( b). If FIG. 26( d) is comparedwith FIG. 7( b) it will be seen that the further substrate 62 of FIG.26( d) corresponds to the base substrate 19 of FIG. 7( b), and that thethin layer 60′ of FIG. 26( d) (obtained by reducing the thickness of thesubstrate 60 of the image display element 63) corresponds to the glasslayer 20 between the parallax barrier 13 and the color filter array 18in FIG. 7( b).

The method of FIGS. 26( a) to 26(d) may be used in the manufacture ofdisplays in which the parallax optic is not a parallax barrier aperturearray. For example, a lens array or an RM parallax barrier may bedisposed on one surface of the further substrate 62 thus allowingmanufacture of a display as shown in, for example, FIG. 15( b) or FIG.17( b).

A lens array may be adhered to the further substrate by providing alayer of transparent adhesive over the entire area of the substrate.Alternatively, a lens array may be adhered to the further substrate bydisposing adhesive only at selected locations, for example around thecircumference of each lens. This provides an air-gap between the lensand the substrate where the adhesive is not applied, thereby eliminatingthe reduction in focusing power that can occur if a layer of transparentadhesive with a refractive index close to the refractive index of thelens array is present. Where adhesive is disposed at only selectedlocations it is in principle possible to use an adhesive that is nottransparent.

FIG. 27 is a sectional view (from above) of a display 64 according to afurther example embodiment. The display again comprises an image displayelement 65, and has a parallax optic 66 disposed within the imagedisplay element. As used herein and illustrated in the figures, theparallax optic being disposed within the image display element meansthat the parallax optic is situated in or between the first substrateand the second substrate of the image display element, e.g., in orbetween a TFT substrate as the first substrate and a. color filtersubstrate as the second substrate. In this embodiment the parallax opticis a prism array 66.

The prism array 66 is formed over a base substrate 19 (which may be madeof, for example, glass), and a planarizing layer 67 is provided over theprism array. The base substrate 19, prism array 66 and planarizing layer67 form one substrate 68 of the image display element 65. An imagedisplay layer 8, for example a pixellated liquid crystal layer, isdisposed between the substrate 68 and a second substrate 6. Othercomponents of the image display element, for example such as a colorfilter array (in the case of a full-color display), alignment layers,switching elements and electrodes, may be entirely conventional and havebeen omitted from FIG. 27.

The display 64 comprises a backlight 69 that illuminates the imagedisplay element 65 with collimated or partially collimated light. Thelight from the backlight is refracted by the prisms of the prism arrayand is directed to a left viewing window 2 or to a right viewing window3. If two interlaced images are displayed on the pixels 70 of the imagedisplay layer 8 a directional display is provided. Use of a prism arrayto direct light to the two viewing windows means that a backlight 69having a relatively low degree of collimation can be used—in contrast,if a lens array were used in place of the prism array it would benecessary to use a backlight having a high degree of collimation.

One method by which the substrate 68 may be manufactured is to dispose alayer of photoresist over the base substrate 19. The refractive index ofthe photoresist should be as close as possible to the refractive indexof the base substrate 19, and the refractive index of the photoresist ispreferably equal or substantially equal to the refractive index of thebase substrate 19. The prism array 66 is then defined in the photoresistlayer using conventional masking, irradiation and etching steps.

The planarizing layer 67 is then disposed over the prism array 66. Theplanarizing layer 67 preferably has the minimum thickness required toplanarise the substrate 68.

Components such as an alignment layer, color filters etc may be providedon the substrate 68 using any suitable technique. The substrate 68 maythen be assembled with the second substrate 6 to form the image displayelement 65.

The refractive index of the planarizing layer 67 must be different fromthe refractive index of the prism array 66 so that light is refracted atthe interface between the prism array 66 and the planarizing layer 67.The refractive index of the planarizing layer may be higher or lowerthan the refractive index of the prism array, although in practice itmay be easier to find suitable materials for the planarizing layer thathave a lower refractive index than the prism array. (The direction ofrefraction will depend on whether refractive index of the planarizinglayer is higher or lower than the refractive index of the prism array.)

Example embodiments have been described above with reference to specifictypes of parallax optics. The embodiments are not, however, limited tothe specific types of parallax optic shown, and may be used with othertypes of parallax optic.

The present technology allows a substrate on which a parallax optic ismounted to be used as a substrate of an image display element such as,for example, a liquid crystal display element. This has the advantagethat the alignment of the parallax optic and the pixels of the displayelement is carried out during manufacture of the display element. Thisallows the alignment to be carried out more precisely compared to theconventional case where an external parallax optic is aligned with acomplete liquid crystal display element (as in FIG. 1). Furthermore,eliminating the step of gluing or otherwise adhering a parallax optic toa completed image display element makes the manufacturing processquicker and cheaper.

FIG. 28 is a schematic plan-sectional view of a multiple viewdirectional display 76 according to a further example embodiment. Thedisplay 76 comprises a first transparent substrate 6 and a secondtransparent substrate 71, with an image display layer 8 disposed betweenthe first substrate 6 and the second substrate 71. An array of colorfilters (not shown) is provided on the second substrate 71, and thesecond substrate will therefore be referred to as a color filtersubstrate.

The first substrate 6 is provided with pixel electrodes (not shown) fordefining an array of pixels in the image display layer 8, and is alsoprovided with switching elements (not shown) such as thin filmtransistors (TFTs) for selectively addressing the pixel electrodes. Thesubstrate 6 will be referred to as a ‘TFT substrate’. The image displaylayer 8 is, in this example, a liquid crystal layer 8. The invention isnot limited to this, however, and any transmissive image display layermay be used.

The display 76 is assembled such that the color filters are eachsubstantially opposite a respective pixel of the image display layer 8.Other components such as alignment layers may be disposed on thesurfaces of the substrate 6, 71 adjacent to the image display layer, anda counter electrode or electrodes may also be disposed on the CFsubstrate 71; these components are conventional, and will not bedescribed further. Furthermore, the display 76 may comprise furthercomponents such as viewing-angle enhancement films, anti-reflectionfilms etc., disposed outside the image display element; these componentsare also conventional and will not be described further.

The color filter substrate 71 comprises a transparent waveguide 74, alinear polarizer 73 disposed on the waveguide 74, and a transparentlayer 72 disposed over the linear polarizer 73. The waveguide 74 notonly forms part of the color filter substrate 71 but also forms part ofthe backlight of the display.

In use, the backlight of the display 76 is constituted by the waveguide74 and one or more light sources 75 arranged along sides of thewaveguide. Only one light source 75 is shown in FIG. 28, arranged alongone side face 74 a of the waveguide 74, but the invention is not limitedto the specific configuration of the backlight shown in FIG. 28, andmore than one light source could be used. As an example, the displaycould be provided with two light sources arranged along opposite sidefaces 74 a, 74 b of the waveguide 74. The light sources 65 preferablyextend along all or substantially all of the respective side face of thewaveguide and may be, for example fluorescent tubes.

The waveguide 74 is adhered to the polarizer 73 by adhesive 81 disposedalong the edges of the polarizer 73. Since the adhesive 81 is disposedonly along the edges of the polarizer 73, an air gap 82 exists betweenthe waveguide 74 and the polarizer 73 over most of the area of thepolarizer. As is well known, light from the light source(s) 75 entersthe waveguide 74 and is trapped within the waveguide 74 by thephenomenon of total internal reflection—light propagating within thewaveguide that is incident on the front surface or back surface of thewaveguide 74 undergoes total internal reflection at the waveguide/airinterfaces and is not emitted from the waveguide.

Alternatively, the waveguide 74 and polarizer 73 may be adhered using alow refractive index transparent adhesive—that is, an adhesive having arefractive index that is lower than the refractive index of thewaveguide. The low refractive index adhesive may be disposed over theentire area of the polarizer 73, and internal reflection at the frontface of the waveguide 74 arises from the difference between therefractive index of the adhesive and the refractive index of thewaveguide.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 28, diffusive dots are provided atselected regions 84 of the front face 74 c of the waveguide 74. If lightpropagating within the waveguide is incident on a region 84 of the frontface 74 c of the waveguide where diffusive dots are provided, the lightis not specularly reflected but rather is scattered by the diffusivedots as indicated in FIG. 28. As a consequence, some of the light isscattered out of the waveguide towards the image display layer 8.

Light is scattered out of the waveguide 74 only in regions 84 wherediffusive dots are present, and no light is emitted from the waveguide74 where there are no diffusive dots. The waveguide 74 thus has regionsthat emit light (corresponding to the regions 84 where diffusive dotsare present) and has regions that do not significantly emit light. Ifthe regions 84 where diffusive dots are provided have the form ofstripes that extend into the plane of the paper in FIG. 28, the regionsof the waveguide 74 that emit light correspond in size, shape andposition to the transmissive regions of a parallax barrier such as, forexample the parallax barrier 13 of FIG. 6( a), and the regions of thewaveguide 74 that do not emit light correspond in size, shape andposition to the opaque regions of a parallax barrier. Thus, a parallaxbarrier is effectively defined at the front face 74 c of the waveguide74, within the thickness of the color filter substrate 71.

Areas of the waveguide 74 where there are no diffusive dots may becoated in an absorptive material to ensure no light is scattered fromthese areas. This reduces the intensity of light emitted by areas of thewaveguide that are intended to correspond to the opaque regions of theparallax barrier 13 of FIG. 6( a).

The diffusive dots may consist of diffusive structures, diffractivestructures or micro-refractive structures. Their precise structure isnot important, provided that light is scattered from the regions 84where the diffusive dots are provided and is not significantly scatteredin regions where the diffusive dots are not provided.

The display 76 of FIG. 28 does not require a parallax barrier aperturearray, so that no light emitted by the waveguide 74 is absorbed byopaque regions of a parallax barrier aperture array. For a given outputfrom the light source(s) 75, the display 76 of FIG. 28 thus provides abrighter image than a display, such as the display of FIG. 6( a), whichhas a parallax barrier aperture array.

The polarizer 73 acts as a conventional entrance polarizer for the imagedisplay layer 8. Depending on the mode of operation of the image displaylayer, a second linear polarizer (not shown) may be provided on theopposite side of the image display layer to the polarizer 73.

The display 76 may be manufactured using a method similar to that shownin FIGS. 26( a) to 26(d). In this method, an image display element,comprising the front substrate 6, the image display layer 8 and a rearsubstrate, would initially be manufactured. The rear substrate wouldthen be reduced in thickness to form the transparent layer 72. Next, thepolarizer 73 would be adhered to the transparent layer 72, and thewaveguide 74 would be adhered to the polarizer 73.

Alternatively, the color filter substrate 71 may be manufactured byadhering the polarizer 73 to the waveguide 74. The transparent layer 72may then be adhered to the polarizer 73 in the case of, for example, aglass transparent layer 72. Alternatively, a layer of transparentplastics or transparent resin may be disposed over the polarizer 73 toform the transparent layer 72. The completed color filter substrate 71is then assembled with the TFT substrate 6 to form the display 76. Inthis method, the waveguide 74 forms a base substrate of the color filtersubstrate 71.

FIG. 29 is a schematic plan-sectional view of a multiple viewdirectional display 76′ according to a further example embodiment. Thedisplay 76′ corresponds generally to the display 76 of FIG. 28, and onlythe differences will be described.

In the display 76′ of FIG. 29 the polarizer 73 is placed adjacent to therear face of the waveguide 74, and for example is adhered to thewaveguide 74 using a transparent adhesive (not shown). The refractiveindices of the waveguide 74, polarizer 73 and adhesive are chosen sothat light propagating within the waveguide 74 passes into the polarizer73 with substantially no internal reflection at the interface betweenthe waveguide 74 and the polarizer 73. Internal reflection occurs at therear face of the polarizer 73, as shown by the ray path in FIG. 29.

In this embodiment, the distance between the front face 74 c of thewaveguide 74 and the image display layer 8 is reduced by the thicknessof the polarizer. Light that is internally reflected at the rear face ofthe waveguide is polarized upon reflection, and this polarization ispreserved when light is scattered out of the waveguide.

FIG. 30 is a schematic plan-sectional view of a multiple viewdirectional display 77 according to a further example embodiment. Thedisplay 77 comprises a first transparent substrate 6 and a secondtransparent substrate 80, with an image display layer 8 disposed betweenthe first substrate 6 and the second substrate 80. An array of colorfilters (not shown) is provided on the second substrate 80, and thesecond substrate will therefore be referred to as a color filtersubstrate.

The first substrate 6 is provided with pixel electrodes (not shown) fordefining an array of pixels 8P,8S in the image display layer 8, and isalso provided with switching elements (not shown) such as thin filmtransistors (TFTs) for selectively addressing the pixel electrodes. Thesubstrate 6 will be referred to as a ‘TFT substrate’. The image displaylayer 8 is, in this example, a liquid crystal layer 8. The invention isnot limited to this, however, and any transmissive image display layermay be used.

The display 77 is assembled such that the color filters are eachsubstantially opposite a respective pixel of the image display layer 8.Other components such as alignment layers may be disposed on thesurfaces of the substrate 6, 80 adjacent to the image display layer, anda counter electrode or electrodes may also be disposed on the CFsubstrate 80; these components are conventional, and will not bedescribed further. Furthermore, the display 77 may comprise furthercomponents such as polarizers, viewing-angle enhancement films,anti-reflection films etc., disposed outside the image display element;these components are also conventional and will not be describedfurther.

In this embodiment the display comprises a parallax barrier 79 havingtransmissive portions 79 a and opaque portions 79 b. In this embodimentthe opaque transmissive portions 79 a of the parallax barrier 79 arepolarizing apertures and transmit light of one polarization whilesubstantially blocking light of an orthogonal polarization. The pixels8S,8P emit/transmit light of either the first polarization state or thesecond polarization state. In FIG. 30 the two polarization states aretaken to be the P- and S-linear polarization states. Pixels labelled“8S” or “8P” emit/pass light having the S-polarization or light havingthe P-polarization respectively. The transmissive portions 79 a of theparallax barrier 79 are also labelled with a “P” or an “S” to denotewhether they transmit light having the P-polarization or theS-polarization respectively.

The parallax barrier 79 is disposed over a base substrate 19. Atransmissive spacer layer 78, which may be a layer of glass, transparentresin or transparent plastics, is provided between the image displaylayer 8 and the parallax barrier 79.

The parallax barrier may be formed of, for example, a patternedpolarizer having regions that transmit P-polarized light but blockS-polarized light and other regions that transmit S-polarized light butblock P-polarized light. The opaque regions 79 b may be deposited on thepatterned polarizer by, for example, printing. Alternatively theparallax barrier may be formed of the combination of a uniform linearpolarizer and a patterned retarder having regions that rotate the planeof polarization of light by 90° and other regions that do not rotate theplane of polarization of light; the opaque regions 79 b may again bedeposited by, for example, printing.

The parallax barrier 79 is arranged such that an aperture 79 a thattransmits light of a particular polarization is not in front of a pixelthat emits/transmits light of that polarization. Thus, the apertures 79a that transmit the P-polarization state are not arranged in front ofpixels 8P that transmit/emit the P-polarization state, and apertures 79a of the parallax barrier that transmit the S-polarization state are notarranged in front of pixels 8S that emit/transmit the S-polarizationstate. As a result, the light that is transmitted/emitted by a pixel ofone polarization state can only pass through the parallax barrier 79 infirst and second ranges of directions that are different from, and lieon opposite sides of, the normal to the display face of the display.Light that is emitted by, for example, a S-pixel in a direction parallelor close to the normal direction will be incident on an aperture 79 athat transmits only the P-polarization or on an opaque portion 79 b ofthe parallax barrier, and so will be blocked. The intensity of lightemitted by the display of this embodiment in the normal direction, or indirections close to the normal direction, is therefore low. The devicethus provides a black window between the viewing windows of the twoimages, and so provides the advantage explained above with reference toFIG. 11( b).

A black mask (denoted by non-transmissive regions 8 b) is providedbetween adjacent pixels 8S, 8P. The angular extent of the black centralwindow can be varied by altering the black mask: pixel ratio (whilekeeping the pixel pitch constant). The greater is the width of the blackmask between adjacent pixels, the greater is the angular extent of theblack central window.

The angular extent of the black central window is also determined by thewidth of the polarizing apertures 79 a of the parallax barrier 79. Theangular extent of the black central window may be varied by changing thewidth of the polarizing apertures (while keeping the aperture pitchconstant). The smaller is the width of the polarizing apertures of theparallax barrier the greater will be the angular extent of the blackcentral window.

In any of the embodiments described above which comprise a lens array,the lens array may be an array of GRIN (graded index) lenses, asdescribed with reference to the embodiment of FIG. 20( b) above.

FIG. 31 shows a modification of the backlight of the display 76 of FIG.28. The backlight of FIG. 31 comprises a first waveguide 74 and one ormore first light sources 75 arranged along sides of the first waveguide.Two first light sources 75 are shown in FIG. 31, arranged along oppositeside faces 74 a, 74 b of the first waveguide 74, but the invention isnot limited to this specific configuration and only one light source ormore than two light sources could be provided. The light sources 75preferably extend along all or substantially all of the respective sidefaces of the first waveguide and may be, for example fluorescent tubes.

Diffusive dots are provided at selected regions 84 of the back face 74 cof the first waveguide 74. The regions 84 where diffusive dots arepresent may, for example, be stripe-shaped and extend into the plane ofthe paper in FIG. 31. If light propagating within the first waveguide isincident on a region 84 of the front face 74 c of the waveguide wherediffusive dots are provided, the light is not specularly reflected butrather is scattered out of the first waveguide as explained withreference to FIG. 28 above (in FIG. 31 the observer is assumed to be atthe top of the page and light is scattered out of the first waveguide 74in a generally upwards direction).

The backlight further comprises a second waveguide 74′ and one or moresecond light sources 75′ arranged along sides of the first waveguide.The second waveguide 74′ is placed behind, and is generally parallel to,the first waveguide 74; the second waveguide 74′ corresponds generallyin size and shape to the first waveguide 74. Two second light sources75′ are shown in FIG. 31, arranged along opposite side faces 74 a′,74 b′of the second waveguide 74′, but the invention is not limited to thisspecific configuration, and only one second light source or more thantwo second light sources could be used. The light sources 75′ preferablyextend along all or substantially all of the respective side faces ofthe second waveguide and may be, for example fluorescent tubes.

Diffusive dots 89 are provided over substantially all of the front face74 d′ of the second waveguide 74. Accordingly, when the second lightsources 75′ are illuminated, light is scattered out of the front surface74 d′ of the second waveguide over most of its area.

The backlight of FIG. 31 is therefore switchable between a “patternedmode” and a “uniform mode”. In the “patterned mode”, the first lightsources 75 are illuminated and the second light sources 75′ are notilluminated. Light propagates only in the first waveguide 74, and thebacklight has regions that emit light (these regions correspond to theregions 84 where diffusive dots are present) and has regions that do notemit light (these regions correspond to the regions where diffusive dotsare not present). In the “uniform mode”, the second light sources 75 areilluminated and light propagates in the second waveguide. Sincediffusive dots 89 are provided over substantially the entire front face74 d′ of the second waveguide 74′, the backlight provides substantiallyeven illumination over its entire area in the “uniform mode”. A displayprovided with the backlight of FIG. 31 may be switched from adirectional display mode to a conventional 2-D display mode by switchingthe backlight from the “patterned mode” to the “uniform mode”.

In the “uniform mode”, the first light sources 75 can be illuminated orcan be not illuminated. If desired, the first light sources can be keptON continuously, and the backlight is put in either the “uniform mode”or the “patterned mode” by switching the second light sources 75′ ON orOFF respectively. (Keeping the patterned waveguide illuminated in theuniform mode may cause some variations in intensity across the area ofthe backlight, but this possible disadvantage may be outweighed in someapplication by the need to switch only the second light sources 75′.)

In order to ensure that internal reflection occurs at the back face 74 cof the first waveguide, it is necessary that the space between the firstwaveguide 74 and the second waveguide 74′ has a lower refractive indexthan the first waveguide 74. This can conveniently be achieved byproviding an air-gap between the first waveguide 74 and the secondwaveguide 74′, or alternatively the space the first waveguide 74 and thesecond waveguide 74′ may be filled with a light-transmissive materialhaving a low refractive index.

The rear surface of the regions 84 where diffusive dots are provided onthe first waveguide 74 may be made reflective, for example by applying ametal coating. If this is done, any light that is scattered towards thesecond waveguide 74′ by the diffusive dots will be reflected backtowards an observer. (If the rear surface of the regions 84 wherediffusive dots are provided on the first waveguide 74 is madereflective, it is necessary that the first light sources and the secondlight sources are illuminated to obtain the uniform mode, since thereflector would block light scattered upwards from the second waveguide74.)

Each waveguide may be provided with an antireflection coating (notshown)

FIG. 32 shows another backlight according to an example embodiment. Thebacklight comprises a waveguide 74 and one or more light sources 75arranged along sides of the waveguide. Two light sources 75 are shown inFIG. 32, arranged along opposite side faces 74 a, 74 b of the waveguide74, but the invention is not limited to this specific configuration, andonly one light source or more than two light sources could be used. Thelight sources 75 preferably extend along all or substantially all of therespective side faces of the waveguide and may be, for examplefluorescent tubes.

The waveguide 74 comprises a layer of liquid crystal material 87sandwiched between two light-transmissive substrates 92,93. The liquidcrystal layer is addressable, for example by means of electrodes (notshown) that allow an electric field to be applied across the liquidcrystal layer 87. Regions 87A, 87B of the liquid crystal layer(indicated by broken lines in FIG. 32) are addressable independentlyfrom one another, for example by the use of appropriately patternedelectrodes that allow an electric field to be applied across a selectedregion of the liquid crystal layer. The regions 87A,87B of the liquidcrystal layer may, for example, be stripe-shaped and extend into theplane of the paper in FIG. 32.

Regions 87A, 87B of the liquid crystal layer may be switched to ascattering mode or to a clear, light-transmissive mode. If all theliquid crystal regions are switched to a light-transmissive mode, lightpropagates in the waveguide with minimal scattering—light undergoesinternal reflection at the upper face 92 a of the upper substrate 92,passes through the upper substrate 92 and the liquid crystal layer 87into the lower substrate 93, undergoes internal reflection at the lowersurface 93 b of the lower substrate 93 and is reflected back towards theupper substrate 92, and so on. Little or no light is emitted from thewaveguide.

In order to cause emission of light from the waveguide, one or more ofthe liquid crystal regions are switched to form a scattering regionshown schematically as 85 in FIG. 32. When light propagating within thefirst waveguide is incident on a scattering region 85, light isscattered out of the waveguide as explained with reference to FIG. 28above (in FIG. 32 the observer is assumed to be at the top of the pageand light is scattered out of the waveguide 74 in a generally upwardsdirection).

FIG. 32 shows the waveguide when every alternate liquid crystal region87A is switched to produce a scattering region 85. The other liquidcrystal regions 87B are switched so as to be non-scattering. Light isemitted only from regions of the front face of the waveguide 74 thatcorrespond generally to the scattering regions 85, and the backlightoperates in a “patterned mode”.

If all the liquid crystal regions 87A, 87B are switched to formscattering 15 regions, the liquid crystal layer 87 scatters light oversubstantially its entire area so that light is emitted fromsubstantially the entire area of the waveguide 74. Thus, when all liquidcrystal regions 87A, 87B are switched to form scattering regions thebacklight operates in a “uniform mode”. The backlight can therefore beswitched between a “patterned mode” and a “uniform mode”, by switchingthe liquid crystal regions accordingly. A display provided with thebacklight of FIG. 32 may be switched from a directional display mode toa conventional 2-D display mode by switching the backlight from the“patterned mode” to the “uniform mode”.

In one implementation of backlight of FIG. 32, the rear face 92 b of theupper substrate 92 is smooth over its entire area. This implementationrequires that the layer 87 comprises a liquid crystal material that canbe switched between a state in which it transmits light withoutsignificant scattering and a state in which it scatter light, forexample, such as a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC). A scatteringregion 85 is obtained by switching a region of the liquid crystal layerto its scattering mode.

Thus, the regions 87A, for example, of the liquid crystal layer areswitched to the scattering mode to produce the scattering regions 85;light passing from the of the upper substrate 92 into regions 87A of theliquid crystal layer is scattered by the liquid crystal, and some lightis reflected upwards and can pass out of the front face of the waveguide74. Conversely, regions 87B of the liquid crystal layer are switched tothe non-scattering mode; light passing from the upper substrate 92 intoregions 87B of the liquid crystal layer simply passes through into thelower substrate without being scattered by the liquid crystal. Withregions 87B of the liquid crystal layer in the non-scattering mode, thebacklight is in its “patterned mode”.

To obtain the “uniform mode” of the backlight, all regions 87A, 87B ofthe liquid crystal layer are switched to their scattering mode. The rearface of the waveguide 74 is then scattering over substantially itsentire area.

In this implementation it is possible to vary the size and position ofthe scattering regions 85 and non-scattering regions. For example, itwould be possible to switch two adjacent liquid crystal regions to thescattering mode, the next liquid crystal region to the non-scatteringmode, the next two liquid crystal regions to the scattering mode, thenext liquid crystal region to the non-scattering mode etc., to simulatea parallax barrier having a 2:1 aperture: barrier ratio.

Alternatively, the regions of the rear face 92 b of the upper substrate92 corresponding to the desired positions of the scattering regions 85may be made rough so that these regions would always scatter light. Thebacklight could be switched between a “uniform mode” and a “patternedmode” by switching the liquid crystal regions 87B to the scattering modeor the non-scattering mode respectively.

As a further alternative, the back face 92 b of the upper substrate maybe optically rough over its entire area. This embodiment requires alayer 87 of a liquid crystal material having a refractive index that canbe altered. A scattering region 85 is obtained by switching thecorresponding liquid crystal region 87A so that the refractive index ofthe liquid crystal does not match the refractive index of the waveguide74. Light propagating in the upper substrate will “see” the opticallyrough surface of the back face of the upper substrate, and will bescattered.

A non-scattering region is obtained by switching the correspondingliquid crystal region 87B so that the refractive index of the liquidcrystal in region 87B matches the refractive index of the uppersubstrate 92. Light propagating in the upper substrate will not “see”the optically rough surface, and will pass into the liquid crystal layerwithout being scattered (being subsequently internally reflected at therear face 93 b of the lower substrate).

A reflector may be provided behind the scattering regions 85, if theposition of the scattering regions is fixed, and this is shown at 86 inFIG. 32. Any light that is scattered towards the rear substrate 93 bythe scattering region 85 will be reflected by the reflector 86 towardsthe observer.

FIG. 33 shows a further backlight. The backlight comprises a waveguide74 and one or more light sources 75 arranged along sides of thewaveguide. Two light sources 75 are shown in FIG. 33, arranged alongopposite side faces 74 a, 74 b of the waveguide 74, but the invention isnot limited to this specific configuration and only one light source ormore than two light sources could be used. The light sources 75preferably extend along all or substantially all of the respective sidefaces of the waveguide and may be, for example fluorescent tubes.

Diffusive dots are provided at selected regions 84 of the back face 74 cof the waveguide 74. The regions 84 where diffusive dots are presentmay, for example, be stripe-shaped and extend into the plane of thepaper in FIG. 31. If light propagating within the first waveguide isincident on a region 84 of the front face 74 c of the waveguide wherediffusive dots are provided, the light is not specularly reflected butrather is scattered out of the first waveguide as explained withreference to FIG. 28 above (in FIG. 33 the observer is assumed to be atthe top of the page, and light is scattered out of the first waveguide74 in a generally upwards direction).

A lens array 88 is disposed in front of the waveguide 74. The lens arraydirects left emitted by the waveguide 74 predominantly into a firstdirection (or first range of directions) 90 and into a second direction(or second range of directions) 91. The first direction (or first rangeof directions) 90 and the second direction (or second range ofdirections) 91 are preferably separated by a third range of directionswhich includes the normal direction. Since light is directedpredominantly into the first and second directions (or first and secondranges of directions) 90,91, the intensity of light in the first andsecond directions (or first and second ranges of directions) 90,91 isgreater than the intensity in the third range of direction. The firstdirection (or first range of directions) 90 and the second direction (orsecond range of directions) 91 are on opposite sides of the normaldirection, and are preferably substantially symmetrical with respect tothe normal.

The backlight of FIG. 33 is particularly suitable for use with adirectional display. A typical dual view display, for example, displaystwo images, with the images being displayed along directions lying onopposite sides of the normal direction. The backlight of FIG. 33 directslight predominantly into the directions in which the two images aredisplayed by the dual view display, and so produces bright images. Incontrast, a conventional backlight has its greatest intensity along thenormal direction, and has a low intensity when viewed from an off-axisdirection.

A 4 view illumination system can be created by using a 2D array ofmicrolenses, and a 2D array of diffusive dots. This will provide fourviews arranged two views above two views, so providing both horizontaland vertical separation of views.

FIG. 34 shows a further backlight. This backlight is similar to thebacklight of FIG. 33 in that it is provided with a lens array fordirecting the emitted light into two preferred directions (or ranges ofdirections) 90,91. The backlight of FIG. 34 further comprises a secondwaveguide 74′ and second light sources 75′ arranged along respectivesides of the second waveguide 75. Diffusive dots 89 are provided oversubstantially the entire front face of the second waveguide 75′. Thesecond waveguide 75′ of FIG. 34 corresponds generally to the secondwaveguide 75′ of FIG. 31. The backlight of FIG. 34 may be switchedbetween a “patterned mode” and a “uniform mode”, in the manner describedabove for the backlight of FIG. 31.

The backlights of FIGS. 31 to 34 may be incorporated in, for example,the display 76 of FIG. 28 or the display 76′ of FIG. 29.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 31 to 34, the density of diffusive dots canbe adjusted to alter the spatial illumination uniformity, to compensatefor the decrease in intensity of light propagating within the waveguideas the distance from a light source 75 increases. This may be applied toboth waveguides in the embodiments of FIGS. 31 and 34

In the embodiments of FIGS. 31 to 34 the diffusive dots may be replacedby a micro reflecting structure such as prisms, protrusions etc. Thiscould be used, for example, for controlling the directionality ofemission from the regions of the waveguides where diffusive dots areprovided.

In the embodiments described above the parallax optic has been disposedon the same substrate as the color filters. It would alternatively bepossible to dispose the parallax optics on the TFT substrate 6 of thedisplay and, for every embodiment described above with a parallax opticprovided on the color filter substrate, there is a correspondingembodiment in which a parallax optic is provided on the TFT substrate.In such modified embodiments, an array of switching elements such as anarray of TFTs and the elements of the parallax optics would be disposedover a base substrate of the TFT substrate, possibly with a spacer layerinterposed between the parallax optic and the thin film transistors. Theseparation between the parallax barrier and the image display layerwould again be substantially the thickness of the spacer layer (assumingthat the spacer layer was disposed over the parallax optic). Moreover,in the embodiments of FIGS. 22 to 25, the prisms 53 may be disposed onthe TFT substrate.

Furthermore, in some liquid crystal panels the color filters aredisposed on the same substrate as the thin film transistors. Theinvention may then be applied to such a device; For example, alight-transmissive spacer layer (for example a resin, glass or plasticsspacer layer) may be disposed over the TFTs (or other switchingelements) and the color filters, and the parallax optic may be disposedover the spacer layer.

Some of the foregoing example embodiments of the invention, with theexception of those shown in FIGS. 22-25, and 28 to 34, may be used aseither a rear barrier device (as in FIG. 4) or as a front barrier device(as in FIG. 1).

Where a device in which the parallax optic is a parallax barrier is usedin the rear-barrier mode of FIG. 4, it is preferable if the parallaxbarrier elements are reflective on the side facing the back light. Lightfrom the back light that is incident on the opaque regions of thebarrier will then be reflected, and can be re-reflected from the backlight so that it may pass through the parallax barrier and thus throughthe display device. This would increase the brightness of the display.The surface of the parallax barrier elements facing away from thebacklight is preferably absorbing, to prevent cross-talk.

In one aspect of the technology, a parallax optic is provided whichcomprises plural spaced apart lenses, the lenses being arranged in anarray in an array plane and spaced apart within the array plane.Preferably the spaced apart lenses are separated by regions in the arrayplane which are non-transmissive of/to visible light. The regions whichare non-transmissive to visible light can be filled withlight-absorptive material or light reflecting material or both. Theregions which are non-transmissive to visible light can be, for example,black mask regions (e.g., regions occupied by a light non-transmissivemask). In some embodiments, the spaced apart lenses of the parallaxoptic are discrete elements of a lens array. In these embodiments, thespaced apart lenses are discrete in the sense that they are insular,e.g., not integrally formed or connected together as a single layer(although the discrete lens elements may all be formed on an adjacentsubstrate layer). In other embodiments, the lens elements are formed asconvex elements integral with and extending from a lenticular layer. Inthese embodiments, the lenticular layer may or may not be formed on aseparate substrate, depending on factors such as thickness of thelenticular layer. In the various embodiments, and as subsequentlyillustrated, the black mask (or the light non-transmissive regions) doesnot extend beyond a height or extent of projection of the lens elements(e.g., of the lenticules or plural spaced apart lenses). For example,the black mask or the light non-transmissive regions can lie in a planethat extends through the lens elements.

FIG. 35 shows a first example embodiment of a parallax optic 100(35)having discrete, spaced-apart lenses. The parallax optic 100(35) of FIG.35 comprises plural discrete lens elements 102 formed as an array on anunderlying lenticular substrate 104. In the embodiment of FIG. 35, lenselements 102 are formed as plano-convex lens elements on lenticularsubstrate 104. The lenticular substrate 104, being formed as a separatelayer from the lens elements 102, has a planar top layer upon which thelens elements 102 are formed. Preferably the lens elements 102 areformed simultaneously, and (as in other example embodiments hereinafterdescribed) may be formed from materials such as a light-transmissiveresin or light transmissive plastics, which may be patterned.

Portions of the top surface of lenticular substrate 104 upon which thelens elements 102 are not formed are regions which are non-transmissiveof/to visible light. Such regions between the discrete lens elements 102can be occupied by a light absorptive material, a light reflectivematerial, or both. In the particular implementation shown in FIG. 35,the non-transmissive regions are occupied by a black masking material106. The black mask 106 can be deposited or otherwise formed on the topsurface of lenticular substrate 104, and preferably has a thicknessconsiderably smaller than the height or extent of projection of the lenselements 102 from the lenticular substrate 104. In one example,non-limiting implementation, the black mask 106 is realized by coatingthe lenses with a black photo-resist, and etching the black mask off thelenses by standard lithographic techniques. The lenses are thereforeleft transmissive, whilst the areas between the lenses have theabsorbing coating. In this and subsequent embodiments, rather than thelight non-transmissive regions being occupied by a material, the topsurface of lenticular substrate 104 in these regions can be treated inany suitable manner for rendering the surface light non-transmissive.

In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 35, the lens elements 102 ofthe lenticular array formed by the discrete lens elements 102 areplano-convex. If desired, the parallax optic 100(35) of FIG. 35 canoptionally be provided with a spacer 110 which extends over the entirelenticular array and the black mask 106. Spacer 110 can be formed fromglue, air, or other fluid. If spacer 110 is solid, preferably a topsurface of the spacer 110 is planarized to facilitate, e.g.,incorporation of parallax optic 100(35) in or to an image displayelement. The optional nature of spacer 110 is emphasized in this andother embodiments in that the spacer 110 is shown with phantom lines.

FIG. 36 shows another embodiment of a parallax optic having discretelens elements 102. The parallax optic 100(36) of FIG. 36 comprisesconvexo-convex lens elements 102(36). The discrete, spherical orquasi-spherical lens elements 102(36) are formed on or encased on atleast one side thereby by a lenticular substrate 104(36). Thenon-transmissive regions between the lens elements 102(36) can be filledby the light absorptive or light reflective material, again exemplifiedby black mask 106, or the top surface of lenticular substrate 104(36)treated to render the regions non-transmissive. An optional (preferablyplanarizing) spacer 110 can also be formed over lens elements 102(36) ofthe lenticular array and over the black mask 106.

FIG. 37 shows a first example embodiment of a parallax optic havingnon-discrete lens elements 102(37), i.e., lens elements 102(37)extending as convex elements from a common, integral lenticular layer114. The lenticular layer 114 and the lens elements 102(37) extendingtherefrom in convex fashion are formed from a same material throughwhich the lens elements 102(37) are connected to one another. Regionsbetween lens elements 102(37) are rendered non-transmissive by one ormore techniques as previously described, including but not limited toprovision of black mask 106. The lenticular layer 114 can be formed onor adhered to a lenticular substrate 104, if desired. Alternatively, thelenticular layer 114 can have a thickness or other properties to serveitself as the lenticular substrate 104. Further, the parallax optic100(37) of FIG. 37 can be provided with an optional spacer 110, aspreviously explained.

Whereas the parallax optic 100(37) of FIG. 37 has plano-convex lenselements 102(37) formed as an array, FIG. 38 illustrates anotherembodiment wherein the lens elements 102(38) of the integral lenticularlayer 114(38) are formed as essentially convexo-convex lens elements.The convexo-convex lens elements 102(38) have convexities of each lenselement extending from both top and bottom surfaces, with regions ofnon-transmissivity provided between lens elements 102(38). In the FIG.38 embodiment, lenticular substrate 104(38) is provided with grooves orchannels to accommodate the convex projections of lens elements 102(38)which contact the lenticular substrate 104(38).

The parallax optic 100(39) of FIG. 39 resembles parallax optic 100(38)of FIG. 38, but differs in that lenticular substrate 104(39) has aplanar top surface over which a lens support layer 116 is formed. It isthe lens support layer 116 in the embodiment of FIG. 39 that isconfigured to accommodate the convex projections of one side oflenticular layer 114(39).

FIG. 40 illustrates the appearance of the non-transmissive regions of anexample parallax optic as seen from above the lenticular array. In theparticular illustration of FIG. 40 in which the parallax optic isrepresented by a generic parallax optic 100, a black mask 106 is shownin the non-transmissive regions between generic lens elements 102. Theblack mask 106 can be deposited as a layer, or otherwise (when pre-cutwith apertures for the lens elements 102) laid over the lenticular arrayin a manner to expose the lens elements 102.

In other aspects of the technology herein described, parallax opticdevices according to any of the preceding embodiments or otherembodiments encompassed hereby are combined with one or more imagedisplay elements to form an image display device. For embodiments ofimage display devices featuring or providing two-dimensional (2D)viewability, the parallax optic is preferably near or included in theimage display element. Numerous examples of image display elementshaving included or incorporated parallax optics have been previouslydescribed, one such embodiment being that of FIG. 15( d) which alsohappens to have a parallax optic with a black mask in regions betweenlens elements. On the other hand, for embodiments of image displaydevices featuring or providing three-dimensional (3D) viewability, theparallax optic is situated outside the image display element.

FIG. 41 shows a first example embodiment of an image display devicewhich combines a parallax optic (such as parallax optic 100 of theembodiment of FIG. 35) with an example image display element having a 3Dviewing capability. In particular, FIG. 41 shows image display device118(41) comprising parallax optic 100 and image display element 120. Theparallax optic 100 is covered by planarizing spacer 110, as understoodfrom the preceding discussion of the FIG. 35 embodiment. The imagedisplay element 120 of FIG. 41 comprises both a thin film transistorsubstrate 122 and a counter substrate 124, with pixels of liquid crystal126 and a color filter 128 formed between the thin film transistorsubstrate 122 and the counter substrate 124.

The construction of the image display device and the elements thereofcan be accomplished in various ways, particularly with (but not limitedto) reference to the foregoing embodiments. After formation of the imagedisplay element 120, the parallax optic 100 is formed or otherwisebonded to the counter substrate 124 to provide the image display device118(41). Thus, for the example embodiment of FIG. 41, the parallax optic100 is situated outside the image display element 120.

Whereas the counter substrate 124 of the embodiment of FIG. 41 has aconsiderable and conventional thickness, the counter substrate 124(42)of the embodiment of FIG. 42 has been thinned in thickness, and actuallyis considerably thinner than the counter substrate 124 of the embodimentof FIG. 41. For example, the counter substrate 124(42) can be thinned sothat its thickness is 400 microns or less, which is thinner than aconventional counter substrate (a conventional counter substrate havinga thickness of in a range of from about 0.4 mm to 1.1 mm). The thinningof the counter substrate 124(42) of the FIG. 42 can be accomplished byvarious techniques, such as chemical etching, or polishing, for example.The formation and/or bonding of the parallax optic 100 on the thinnedcounter substrate 124(42) enables or permits the thinning of the countersubstrate 124(42) since, among other things, the parallax optic 100provides stability and other properties which otherwise might be lackingin view of the thinning of the counter substrate 124(42). Thecomposition and structure of the remainder of the image display device118 of FIG. 42 is understood from comparable structure of otherembodiments. For example, the structure of the parallax optic 100illustrated in FIG. 42 embodiment happens to be that of the parallaxoptic 100 of FIG. 35, although it should be understood that otherparallax optic embodiments as described herein or encompassed hereby mayalternatively be used.

The image display device 118(42) of the embodiment of FIG. 42 thus showsthat strategic use of the parallax optic can permit the countersubstrate to be thinned, thereby advantageously promoting compactnessand yet maintaining stability for a 3D viewable display. It should beunderstood that, if desired, the counter substrate 124 can be completelyeliminated as shown in FIG. 43 and understood from the previouslydescribed embodiments, including the embodiment of FIG. 15( d).

Whereas the image display devices of FIG. 41 through FIG. 42 areillustrated in conjunction with a parallax optic such as the type ofFIG. 35, it should be understood that image display devices including orincorporating other embodiments of parallax optics are also within theambit of the disclosed technology. For example, FIG. 44 illustrates anembodiment of an image display device 118(44) which is similar to thatof FIG. 40, but which instead employs a parallax optic such as that ofFIG. 37. As another non-limiting example, FIG. 45 illustrates anembodiment of an image display device 118(45) which is also similar tothat of FIG. 41, but which instead employs a parallax optic 100 such asthat of the type of FIG. 38.

Various embodiments previously described explain how transmissivity of aparallax optic can be selectively controlled. For example, some suchembodiments incorporate a liquid crystal layer as part of the parallaxoptic to control transmissivity (in addition to a separate liquidcrystal layer used to provide the displayed image itself). The regionsof non-transmissivity of the parallax optic of the embodiments such asthose of FIG. 35-FIG. 39 can also incorporate selectivenon-transmissivity by utilizing liquid crystals in the regions betweenlens elements. FIG. 46 shows a non-limiting example of one suchembodiment, and particularly an image display device 118(46) comprisingimage display element 120(46) and parallax optic 100(46).

The image display element 120(46) comprises thin film transistorsubstrate 122 and a counter substrate 124, with pixels of liquid crystal126 and a color filter 128 formed between the thin film transistorsubstrate 122 and the counter substrate 124. In addition, a firstpolarizer 130(1) is formed between thin film transistor substrate 122and a counter substrate 124. A second liquid crystal layer 140 is formedbetween counter substrate 124 and parallax optic 100(46). The parallaxoptic 100(46) comprises lens elements 102, which in turn are covered byspacer 110(46). The spacer 110(46) is, in turn, covered by a secondpolarizer 130(2). The second polarizer 130(2) can be covered by afurther substrate 104(46). Thus, the lenses can be formed on a separatesubstrate, or the lenses could be formed directly onto the displaysubstrate.

In the FIG. 46 example embodiment, regions 150 provided between lenses102 may be switched on and off by operation of second liquid crystallayer 140. In particular, voltage is applied to the regions of thesecond liquid crystal layer 140 to change its properties such that itappears transparent. Polarizers 130(1) and 130(2) are provided foroperation of the second liquid crystal layer 140, e.g., for polarizingof light and addressing regions of the second liquid crystal layer 140(as understood from discussion of previous embodiments).

In embodiments of image display devices herein described wherein theparallax optic is outside of the image display element, it is understoodthat the parallax optic and the image display element can be formedseparately and then united by appropriate techniques such as bonding,for example.

The lens elements of the parallax optics of the embodiments of FIG. 35through FIG. 39 are formed as or located in an array. In someimplementations of these embodiments, and the embodiments of the imagedisplay devices which incorporate or include these same, at least oneparameter of the array is chosen for controlling the f-number of thearray. For example, one or more of the following parameters for the lensarray is chosen for controlling the f-number of the array: lens radius(e.g., the radius of each lens element); lens width, and lens refractiveindex. Lens radius and lens width are understood with reference to FIG.47. In addition, the refractive index of materials surrounding the lenselements can also be chosen to control the f-number of the lens array.

Various embodiments been described above with reference to an imagedisplay element that comprises a liquid crystal layer. The invention isnot, however, limited to this particular image display element and anysuitable image display element may be used. As an example, an OLED(organic light-emitting device) image display element may be used.

Although various embodiments have been shown and described in detail,the claims are not limited to any particular embodiment or example. Noneof the above description should be read as implying that any particularelement, step, range, or function is essential such that it must beincluded in the claims scope. The scope of patented subject matter isdefined only by the claims. The extent of legal protection is defined bythe words recited in the allowed claims and their equivalents. It is tobe understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosedembodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover variousmodifications and equivalent arrangements.

1. A multiple view directional display comprising: an image displayelement, the image display element comprising: a first substrate; asecond substrate; and an image display layer sandwiched between thefirst substrate and the second substrate, the image display layercomprising an array of pixels; and a parallax optic comprising pluralspaced apart lenses, the parallax optic disposed adjacent to the imagedisplay layer, wherein the spaced apart lenses are separated by regionswhich are selectively non-transmissive to visible light, and wherein theregions which are selectively non-transmissive to visible light comprisea liquid crystal material.
 2. A multiple view directional displaycomprising: an image display element, the image display elementcomprising: a first substrate; a second substrate; and an image displaylayer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate,the image display layer comprising an array of pixels; and a parallaxoptic, positioned adjacent to the image display layer, the parallaxoptic for providing multiple-view directionality, the parallax, opticcomprising plural spaced apart lenses, wherein the spaced apart lensesare separated by regions which are selectively non-transmissive tovisible light, wherein the regions which are selectivelynon-transmissive to visible light comprise a liquid crystal material. 3.A multiple view directional display comprising: an image displayelement, the image display element comprising: a first substrate; asecond substrate; a third substrate adhered to the second substrate, thethird substrate comprising a parallax optic for providing multiple-viewdirectionality; and an image display layer disposed adjacent the secondsubstrate and sandwiched between the first substrate and the secondsubstrate, the image display layer comprising an array of pixels;wherein the parallax optic of the third substrate is positioned adjacentto the second substrate of the image display element, and wherein theparallax optic facilitates the second substrate having a thickness of400 microns or less, wherein the parallax optic comprises: a lens array;and light non-transmissive regions provided between lenticules of thearray.
 4. A display as claimed in claim 3 wherein the lenticules arespaced apart discrete lenses.
 5. A display as claimed in claim 3 whereinthe lenticules are formed as convex elements on a lenticule layer.
 6. Adisplay as claimed in claim 3 wherein the lenticules are disposed withinthe image display element.
 7. A display as claimed in claim 3 whereinthe lenticules are disposed outside the image display element.
 8. Adisplay as claimed in claim 3 wherein the light non-transmissive maskdoes not extend beyond a height or extent of projection of thelenticules of the array.
 9. A display as claimed in claim 3 wherein thelight non-transmissive mask lies in a plane that extends through thelenticules of the array.
 10. A multiple view directional displaycomprising: an image display element, the image display elementcomprising: a first substrate; a second substrate; and an image displaylayer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate,the image display layer comprising an array of pixels; and a parallaxoptic disposed adjacent to the image display layer, the parallax opticcomprising: a lens array; and a light non-transmissive mask providedbetween lenticules of the array; wherein the light non-transmissive maskdoes not extend beyond a height or extent of projection of thelenticules of the array.
 11. A display as claimed in claim 10, whereinthe lenticles of the array are separated by regions which areselectively non-transmissive to visible light.
 12. A display as claimedin claim 11, wherein the regions which are selectively non-transmissiveto visible light comprise a liquid crystal display.
 13. A multiple viewdirectional display comprising: an image display element, the imagedisplay element comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate; andan image display layer sandwiched between the first substrate and thesecond substrate, the image display layer comprising an array of pixels;and a parallax optic disposed adjacent to the image display layer, theparallax optic comprising: a lens array; and a light non-transmissivemask provided between lenticules of the array; wherein the lightnon-transmissive mask lies in a plane that extends through thelenticules of the array.
 14. A multiple view directional displaycomprising: an image display element, the image display elementcomprising: a first substrate; a second substrate; and an image displaylayer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate,the image display layer comprising an array of pixels; and a parallaxoptic positioned adjacent to the image display layer, the parallax opticfor providing multiple-view directionality, the parallax opticcomprising plural spaced apart lenses, the spaced apart lenses beingseparated by regions which are non-transmissive to visible light;wherein the non-transmissive regions do not extend beyond a height orextent of projection of the plural spaced apart lenses.
 15. A multipleview directional display comprising: an image display element, the imagedisplay element comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate; andan image display layer sandwiched between the first substrate and thesecond substrate, the image display layer comprising an array of pixels;and a parallax optic positioned adjacent to the image display layer, theparallax optic for providing multiple-view directionality, the parallaxoptic comprising plural spaced apart lenses, the spaced apart lensesbeing separated by regions which are non-transmissive to visible light;wherein the non-transmissive regions lie in a plane that extends throughthe plural spaced apart lenses.
 16. A parallax optic for use with animage display device comprising a first substrate, a second substrateand an image display layer sandwiched between the first substrate andthe second substrate, the image display layer comprising an array ofpixels, the parallax optic comprising: a lens array; and a lightnon-transmissive mask provided between lenticules of the array, whereinthe parallax optic is disposed adjacent to the image display layer;wherein the light non-transmissive mask does not extend beyond a heightor extent of projection of the lenticules of the array.
 17. A parallaxoptic for use with an image display device comprising a first substrate,a second substrate and an image display layer sandwiched between thefirst substrate and the second substrate, the image display layercomprising an array of pixels, the parallax optic comprising: a lensarray; and a light non-transmissive mask provided between lenticules ofthe array, wherein the parallax optic is disposed adjacent to the imagedisplay layer; wherein the light non-transmissive mask lies in a planethat extends through the lenticules of the array.
 18. A parallax opticfor use with an image display element comprising a first substrate, asecond substrate and an image display layer sandwiched between the firstsubstrate and second substrate, the image display layer comprising anarray of pixels for providing multiple-view directionality, and theparallax optic comprising: plural spaced apart lenses, the spaced apartlenses being separated by regions which are non-transmissive to visiblelight, wherein the parallax optic is positioned adjacent to the imagedisplay layer; and wherein the non-transmissive regions do not extendbeyond a height or extent of projection of the spaced apart lenses. 19.A parallax optic for use with an image display element comprising afirst substrate, a second substrate and an image display layersandwiched between the first substrate and second substrate, the imagedisplay layer comprising an array of pixels for providing multiple-viewdirectionality, and the parallax optic comprising: plural spaced apartlenses, the spaced apart lenses being separated by regions which arenon-transmissive to visible light, wherein the parallax optic ispositioned adjacent to the image display layer; and wherein thenon-transmissive regions lie in a plane that extends through the spacedapart lenses.
 20. A multiple view directional display comprising: animage display element, the image display element comprising: a firstsubstrate; a second substrate; a third substrate adhered to the secondsubstrate; and an image display layer disposed adjacent the secondsubstrate and sandwiched between the first substrate and the secondsubstrate, the image display layer comprising an array of pixels; and aparallax optic positioned outside the image display element and formedon the second substrate for providing multiple-view directionality, andwherein the parallax optic facilitates the second substrate having athickness of 400 microns or less, wherein the parallax optic comprises:a lens array; and light non-transmissive regions provided betweenlenticules of the array.